Sri Lanka, Aug. 18 -- The annual festival of the historic Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil in Jaffna commenced on Monday (17) with the traditional flag-hoisting ceremony, drawing a large number of devotees and visitors from across the North and South, as well as foreign tourists.

The flag-hoisting ceremony was held at around 10 am amid the chanting of "Arohara" by thousands of devotees. It followed the Vasantha Mandapa Pooja at around 8.15 am, along with other religious observances.

The commencement of the festival attracted a particularly large gathering on the opening day, with devotees and visitors converging on Nallur from different parts of the country and overseas.

The annual festival will continue for 25 days following the flag-hoisting ...