President pays homage to Sacred Devnimori Relics of Lord Buddha

MARKING the commencement of the public veneration of the Sacred Devnimori Relics of Lord Buddha, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake made the first floral offering yesterday at the Hunupitiya Gangaramaya Temple.

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The arrival of the Sacred Relics in Sri Lanka followed discussions held between President Dissanayake and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the latter's visit to Sri Lanka last year. As a result of these discussions, and through the personal intervention of Prime Minister Modi with the full patronage of the Government of India, arrangements were made to bring the Sacred Devnimori Relics to Sri Lanka for public veneration.

Until now, the Sacred Devnimori Relics had been kept under high security at the Baroda Museum in India and had never been taken outside the country. This marks the first occasion on which the Relics have been brought overseas, granting the people of Sri Lanka a rare opportunity to behold and pay homage to them.