One of the foremost sites of Catholic pilgrimage in the country, the shrine of Our Lady of Madhu is located near Mannar within a deep tract of forest. The history of the shrine revolves around a statue of the Madonna and child, which was brought here by a small group of Catholics from Mannar, fleeing persecution by the Dutch in 1760. A small shrine was built to house the statue, and over time it developed a reputation for possessing the power of healing, and over time saw a steady increase in the number of visiting pilgrims. Today the Madhu shrine has been expanded into an expansive complex, and holds a feast in August where hundreds of thousands of the faithful attend.
Written by Jonathan Roelofsz for Travel Lanka Compass
