Chennai, Feb 27 (IANS) Fishermen from Rameswaram and surrounding areas in Tamil Nadu set sail Saturday for Katchatheevu island in the Palk Strait, which was transferred to Sri Lanka by India, to participate in the two day St. Anthony church festival there.

Around 4,000 fishermen and their family members are expected to participate in the two-day festival, held after a gap of four years.

The Sri Lanakan government gave its green signal to hold the festival this year with peace returning in the island after the decimation of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) last year.

Keeping with the tradition of celebrating the festival with the participation of fishermen from Rameswaram, Jaffna Bishop Soundaranayakam and chief priest Gnanaprakasam extended an invitation to Ramanathapuram priest Michael Raj.

At the boarding point in Rameswaram the Indian fishermen and their family were checked and on the high seas, when they entered the international waters, the boats were checked by the security personnel of Sri Lanka and India.

After a gap of 22 years the Sri Lankan government permitted celebration of the festival in 2001. The festival was held till 2005 and when the fight between LTTE and Sri Lankan Army peaked the celebrations was stopped in 2006.

India transferred the Katchatheevu island to Sri Lanka in 1974.

Rameswaram is some 600 km from Chennai.