Are the sacred threads tied by priests in Kataragama a scam.
A man tied a string on my wrist and demanded 5000 rupees. What is the normal donation.
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3 Answers from travellers
This is a very common scam specifically targeting foreigners outside the main Kataragama temple. Unofficial men posing as holy figures will aggressively tie a sacred pirith thread around your wrist, chant quickly, and then demand an outrageous fee like 5000 Rupees.
Legitimate temple priests operating inside the actual shrines do perform blessings and tie threads, but they never demand a set price. A normal, respectful donation for this blessing inside the temple is usually just 100 or 200 Rupees placed in the official charity box.
If someone approaches you on the street attempting to tie a string on your arm, firmly pull your hand away and loudly say no. Do not let them touch you, and simply walk away towards the main security gates.
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