DAY 06 of Katharagama Pada Yathra ; 05th of July, 2019

“The Katharagama Pada-yathra” is an annual pilgrimage done mainly by Hindu-Tamils in honor of Lord Kadhiratian (God of Katharagama). Some pilgrims walk all the way as far from Jaffna to the secret Devalaya at Katharagama, covering more than 500 kilometers on foot. The most difficult and dangerous part of this journey is no doubt the approximately 100km stretch from Okanda to Katagamuwa, where the pilgrims have to cross the Kumana & Yala National parks. The park gates are kept open for a limited number of days simultaneous to this Katharagama festive season, and the Wildlife Department officials, Security forces and Local Government authorities of the area operate a special program during this period providing pilgrims with drinking water and other assistance at various points within the jungle. There are also a few volunteer groups providing medical assistance and operating ‘dan-sel’ donating meals to the pilgrims. Other than that, all pilgrims old and young cross this forest where wild animals roam frequently with the pure faith that Gods would protect them till the end of the journey, chanting “Aero Hara”, and calling each other ‘Sami’ (Godly person) with the belief God in everyone who as come to help them on their journey. Our group of nine took five nights and six days to complete the journey from Okanda to Katharagama (apex. 110 km), as we went in a slow phase enjoying the Natures wonders and collecting non-degradable waste that ware been thrown here & there within the forest.

The Sixth and last day of our journey was through Yala Block-1, from Warahana to Katagamuwa, and from there to Katharagama along the road. We made offerings to a way side shrine on the way inside Yala block-1, and cleaned the garbage around it. It was about noon when we reached the Katagamuwa Park gate. From there we walked across the dried-up Katagamuwa wewa, a short-cut back to the road. It was there we met a group in two jeeps, distributing plastic water bottles to pilgrims. We tried to explain to them that they were contributing in polluting the environment, but they didn’t seem to get our point. We found some of those bottles thrown here and there in the dried-up lake bed. It was tough to walk on the road with the early after-noon. Yet we went to the ‘Ganapathi-Kele-Devalaya’, and reached the ‘Bath-Dansela’ along the Katharagama-Katagamuwa main road. Finally, we reached the Katharagama devalaya around 5.00 pm.