COLOMBO (NewsRadio); President Ranil Wickremesinghe has inaugurated the ‘Buddha Rashmi’ Vesak Zone at the Hunupitiya Gangarama Temple in Colombo.
The ‘Buddha Rashmi’ Vesak Zone”, as part of the National Vesak celebration will also include various events at the Galle Face Shangri-la Green and Presidential Secretariat Premises on from today to the 6th of May.
During the inauguration, the President switched on the lights to mark the start of the Vesak program and attended the ‘Bhakthi Gee’ event on the steps of the Presidential Secretariat.
After that, the Head of State offered flowers to the Buddha statue and participated in religious rituals at the Seemamalakaya of the Gangarama Temple.
The President also illuminated the “Buddha Rashmi Vesak Kalapaya” electric lights to inaugurate the Vesak celebration.
The South Asian Embassies and High Commissions had created exhibition booths at the Vesak Zone to showcase the Buddhist heritage of the Vesak region, which the President visited.
The President’s Media Division said the Head of State also made a note in the commemorative book at the exhibition hall of the Pakistani Buddhist heritage.
Later, President Ranil Wickremesinghe visited the Gangarama Temple and received blessings from Venerable Dr. Kirinde Assaji Thera, the Chief Incumbent of the Temple.
Additionally, President Wickremesinghe had a friendly conversation with the local and foreign devotees who had come to visit the Buddha Rashmi Vesak program.
The Venerable Sangha community, including Ven. Kollupitiye Prof. Mahinda Sangharakkhita Thera of the Kelaniya Rajamaha Viharaya, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, Ministers Bandula Gunawardena, Manusha Nanayakkara, Naseer Ahmed, Minister of State Suren Raghavan, Senior Advisor to the President on National Security and Chief of Staff to the President, Sagala Ratnayake, President’s Secretary Saman Ekanayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, General Kamal Gunaratne (Retired), Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Mr Gopal Bagle, Pakistan High Commissioner Major General Umar Farooq Burki, General Shavendra Silva, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, Army Commander Lieutenant General Vikum Liyanage, Inspector General of Police C D Wickramaratne, Foreign Ambassadors, High Commissioners and several others also participated in this event.
