Bishop of Mannar, Rt. Rev. Dr. Rayappu Joseph yesterday requested pilgrims who will be attending the Feast of Our Lady of Madhu to consider the journey as a symbol of absolute spiritual orientation.

"They must have the spiritual attitude to pray for peace in the country and resettlement of the 300,000 or more displaced people living in the vicinity of the church", he said yesterday.

The Bishop thanked the Government of President Mahinda Rajapaksa and senior presidential advisor Basil Rajapaksa, MP, for making provision for pilgrims to make the journey possible this year.

Senior DIG Nimal Leuke in charge of the Northern Range asked those who are planning to make the pilgrimage to collect the special form from the respective parish or the nearest police station and fill it giving the details of the vehicle to be used for journey, the names of the passengers, their addresses and NIC numbers. They should carry with them three photostat copies during the journey for security reasons.

He said the police and security forces manning the checkpoints along the way, including the one at Medawachchiya, have been instructed to give clearance to all the pilgrims up to Madhu checkpoint.

At present, there are times specified for pilgrims to enter the Madhu precincts — before 12 noon and depart before 6 pm. The pilgrims would be allowed to stay over only from the 12th of August, he said.

All pilgrims must refrain from bringing liquor which will be confiscated before entry. No television or musical setups would also be allowed, Leuke said.

The Bishop said that all those who use public conveyance such as buses would have to alight at Madhu junction and use the shuttle bus service to travel the 10 kilometer distance to the Church.

"The area around the Church has been demined and marked accordingly. Pilgrims will be prohibited from venturing out of the demarcated areas", he noted.

All houses available have been allocated among the pilgrims on a first-come-first-served basis. As accommodation is limited, pilgrims can bring their own tents, Bishop Joseph said.

He said that though food items and bottled water are available, pilgrims can bring their own requirements. The Church has also made provision to set up a bakery to supply food.

Certain private individuals have been allowed to set up shops to sell food and religious items to the pilgrims. Arrangements have been made to provide clean drinking water and sanitary facilities to the 500,000 plus pilgrims expected to attend the feast, the Bishop said.