Chennai: Emotional scenes were witnessed as relatives on Wednesday threw flowers and garlands and poured milk into the sea, as they remembered those who died in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, 14 years after they were swallowed by killer tsunami waves on the Boxing Day morning. .
The people of 64 fishing hamlets in Nagapattinam and Karaikal districts observed the day by taking out candle processions and paying floral tributes at memorials for the victims of the December 2004 disaster. Floral tributes, prayers and silent processions in the affected districts of Tamil Nadu like Chennai, Cuddalore and Nagapattinam marked the remembrance.
In Chennai and Cuddalore, members of various fishermen’s organisations and relatives of the victims threw flower-garlands and poured milk in the sea, as a mark of respect to the departed souls.
Tamil Nadu fisheries minister D. Jayakumar paid tributes in Chennai, while Puducherry Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy paid homage to the tsunami victims in the Union Territory.
Tamil Nadu Minister for Handlooms O S Manian led the special events at Nagapattinam. When the clock struck 9:17 AM, people rose to observe a minute’s silence to pay homage to the 6,065 persons who lost their lives in Nagapattinam in the 2004 tsunami. District collector C. Sureshkumar, Superintendent of Police C. Vijayakumar and other officials participated in the silent marches and candle processions.
At Velankanni, a special mass was conducted at the Shrine Basilica in memory of the victims. A silent procession was also taken out.
In Puducherry, Narayanasamy and others, including representatives of various fishermen outfits, poured milk into the sea to pay homage to the victims. Sand sculptures, depicting the victims of the killer waves, were also showcased on the sea shore.
