The Kataragama Devotees Trust is a non-profit non-political body founded in 1988 by friends and devotees of Kataragama from all religious and ethnic backgrounds. The mission of the KDT is to foster greater appreciation of Kataragama's rich cultural heritage while promoting and protecting its traditions.
The Kataragama Devotees Trust brings together devotees of Kataragama from all backgrounds and walks of life who share a common dedication to the principle of unity within diversity that is Kataragama's hallmark. The KDT's unpaid volunteers contribute their time, skills and diverse resources as a modern extension of Kataragama's ancient traditions of dana(generosity) and Rajakariya ('royal service'). The KDT website Kataragama.org is one such dana or offering to Lord Kataragama and for all devotees.
The KDT has existed an organization since 1988 when it was founded to spearhead efforts to revive the ancient tradition of Kataragama Pada Yatra, which had fallen into abeyance since 1983 due to ethnic strife. Among the friends of the KDT are the modern custodians of the Kataragama Guru Parampara, without whose patronage the KDT would have no legitimacy.
BHAKTI, the annual newsletter-journal of Kataragama Devotees, was a joint publication of the Kataragama Devotees Trust and Cultural Survival of Sri Lanka from 1990 to 1993. It was the first publication of the KDT and precursor to today's Living Heritage Network and Murugan Bhakti Network.
Editor: Patrick Harrigan
Production: R. Kumaragurunathan
Printed at: The Meihandan Press Ltd.
161 Sea Street
Colombo-11, Sri Lanka