No intention of building any other shrine or religious monument at Kachchativu Island: Navy

The Sri Lanka Navy said today that there is no other religious shrine on Kachchativu Island other than St. Anthony’s Church and they emphasized that the Navy had no intention of building any other shrine or religious monument on the Kachchativu Island.

The Navy made this statement following media reports that the Navy was aiming to construct other religious shrines on Kachchativu island. 
Kachchativu is an uninhabited island located about 50 nautical miles off the mainland. 

The Sri Lanka Navy has established a Naval Detachment in Kachchativu to deal with security around the area. Apart from security duties, naval personnel also take care of the St. Anthony’s Church which was built under the patronage of the Buddhist Association of Sri Lanka Navy. 
Aside from the annual church festival of Kachchativu, on every other day of the year, naval personnel clean the church premises and perform all rituals associated with the church with great devotion, the Navy said.

They said in a statement that as most of the naval personnel attached to the Naval Detachment on the Kachchativu Island are Buddhists, they pay homage to a modest little Buddha’s Statue which is in close proximity to their mess.

"The naval personnel performing duties in Kachchativu are also accommodated in a temporarily-constructed mess as no other fixed structures, besides this church, are allowed on the island," the Navy further said.