COLOMBO: Hundreds of Sri Lankan Buddhist monks and lay supporters have protested opposite the Indian embassy to condemn attacks on two Sri Lankan monks and other pilgrims in India.

Tuesday's protest in Colombo came a day after a monk came under a mob attack at the Central Chennai railway station. Another monk was assaulted during the weekend in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. Some pilgrims have been intimidated during the past months.

Tamil Nadu is home to 60 million Tamils who have ancestral links with Sri Lanka's ethnic minority Tamils. The Indian Tamils have often expressed anger against Sri Lanka's Sinhalese-dominated government, which has been accused of abusing Tamils during the country's civil war.

Also Tuesday, External Affairs ministry asked Sri Lankans to "exercise caution "when visiting Tamil Nadu.