Buddhists in Sri Lanka and all over the world celebrated Vesak, which marks the Birth, Enlightenment and Passing Away of the Buddha, on May 23 and 24.
The main Vesak festival in Colombo, the Buddha Rashmi Vesak Zone, is being held until today (26). The Gangaramaya temple, the Presidential Secretariat and the Prime Minister’s Office have jointly organised this Vesak festival which is being held for the 16th consecutive time. President Ranil Wickremesinghe opened the festival on Vesak Full Moon Poya Day.
Sil campaigns, Dhamma sermons, meditation programs and the exposition of the Sacred Relics took place at many temples across the island. Vesak lanterns, pandols, Dansalas, Bhakthi Gee (devotional songs) concerts, street dramas including Noorthi and Buddhist Jathaka stories.
An exhibition showcasing Sri Lanka’s cultural and archaeological heritage is also being held at the Temple Trees premises. A special exhibition zone including creations presented by students and Foreign Embassies was also included in the Buddha Rashmi Vesak Zone.
Twelve major Vesak pandols adorn Greater Colombo for Vesak this year. These pandols are at Maharagama, Kottawa, Homagama, Kiribathgoda, Peliyagoda (Nawaloka), Peliyagoda Fish Market, Thotalanga, Maradana, Kosgashandiya, Dematagoda and Kelaniya. The first pandol designed by a Sri Lankan female, Janani Aludeniya of Pallebedde is being displayed at Godakawela. The pandol at Panadura is the largest in the world at a height of 82 feet and 86 feet wide.
There were 140 dansalas registered in the Colombo City, of which the largest number was rice dansalas. The highest number of dansalas has been registered in Borella and Narahenpita.
The Bauddhaloka Vesak Zone organised by the All Ceylon Buddhist Congress (ACBC) will also be held until today, from the Thunmulla junction to the Borella cemetery roundabout. A large number of people streamed into Colombo from Vesak day to catch a glimpse of the Vesak decorations.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe serves food at the dansala
at the Shangri-La Green
State Ministers Vidura Wickramanayake and Pramitha Bandara Tennakoon in conversation with foreign bhikkhus at the State Vesak ceremony in Matale
President Ranil Wickremesinghe participates in Vesak religious ceremonies at the Gangaramaya, Colombo
with Ven. Dr. Kirinde Assaji Thera
Pictures by PMD, Rukmal Gamage, Sulochana
Gamage and Chinthaka Kumarasinghe
The entrance to the Buddha Rashmi Vesak Zone organised by the Presidential Secretariat, Prime Minister’s office, Gangaramaya Temple and other organisations in Colombo
Russian Ambassador in Sri Lanka Levan Dzhagaryan distributing ice cream to children at a dansala at the Russian Centre in Colombo
The Thorana (pandol) at Suduwella, Maradana
The Rice and Curry Dansala at the Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara, organised for the 20th time with the participation of the Sri Kalyani Youth Organisation and the Sri Lanka Army, was inaugurated by the Chief Incumbent of the temple Ven. Prof. Kollupitiye Mahinda Sangharakkitha Thera and President of the Patrons’ Society, former Sri Lankan Ambassador to Russia Dr. Saman Weerasinghe.
Vesak Bhakthi Gee at the Russian Centre in Colombo
