The annual feast of St. Anthony's Shrine on Kachchatheevu isalnd was successfully held yesterday despite the intense dispute between fishermen of Sri Lanka and India over the violation of maritime boundary between the two countries.

Kachchatheevu has been a source of dispute between the two countries even though two treaties in the 1970s between India and Sri Lanka assured thae latter nation's ownership of the island.

In recent years, Tamil Nadu has been urging the Central Government of India to rethink of the ownership of Kachchatheevu as a 'solution' to the fishing dispute.

More than 7500 Indian Catholics also took part in the feast yeterday with Sri lankans. The Sri Lanka Navy provided logistical support.