A historic Catholic shrine on the Kalpitiya coast, one of Sri Lanka's largest pilgrimage sites, set beside the sea under coconut palms.

Overview

St. Anne's National Shrine at Talawila stands on the Kalpitiya peninsula between the lagoon and the Indian Ocean, dedicated to St. Anne, the mother of the Virgin Mary. A simple whitewashed church shaded by palms, it is one of the most important Catholic pilgrimage centres in Sri Lanka, drawing enormous crowds during its feasts, when pilgrims of many faiths camp for days along the beach. Outside festival times it is a peaceful, atmospheric spot with a fine sunset over the sea.

History

Catholic missionary work began on the peninsula in the early 17th century, and tradition holds that the shrine grew after a wooden statue of St. Anne was found lodged in a banyan tree following a shipwreck off the Kalpitiya coast, with pilgrims soon reporting answered prayers. The shrine has drawn pilgrims for well over a century and a half, and its grand feasts, held around March and again in the last week of July into early August, are among the largest Catholic gatherings in the country.