Ratnapura Saiva temple festival suspended due to threats

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 29 April 2009, 10:11 GMT]
The trustee board of the 200-year-old historical Rakkuvaanai Sri Muththumaariyamman temple in Ratnapura district has been forced to suspend the annual festival of the temple due to death threats by Sinhalese youths of the area who went to the houses of the trustee board members and warned them of severe consequences if they conduct the festival that was to be held from 28 April to 10 May, sources in Ratnapura said. Rakkuvaana police too had denied permission to conduct the festival as the Buddhist Vesak festival is to be celebrated from 4 May to 10 May, the sources said.

The trustee board, having decided to hold the festival, had made elaborate arrangement and announcements about it.

The Sinhalese people of the area had not wanted the Saiva festival to take place during Vesak festivals and some youths among them had warned the trustee board members in their houses and Tamil traders in their business establishments not to hold the annual festival, the sources added.

Consequently, the trustee board was forced to suspend the annual festival causing great grief and disappointment among the Tamils in Rakkuvaanai and Ratnapura district.

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