Fake priests demanding donations at Kataragama.
3 Answers
This is a very common and unfortunate scam at Kataragama. Men dressing somewhat like priests or holy men will approach tourists, tie a simple thread around your wrist, chant a quick blessing, and then aggressively demand a massive cash donation, often twenty dollars or more.
If someone approaches you outside the shrines attempting to tie a string on your arm, firmly and politely decline by pulling your hand away and saying no thank you. If they persist, walk directly towards the nearest security guard or temple official.
Legitimate temple priests operating inside the main shrines do perform blessings, but they never aggressively demand specific, exorbitant amounts of money. Donations are entirely voluntary and are usually placed quietly in the official temple donation boxes.
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