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Lankan grant for Maha Bodhi Vihara water project

by N. M. Ameen

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has agreed to grant a sum equivalent to 500,000 Indian rupees for providing drinking water facilities to the Sri Lanka Maha Bodhi Vihara situated at Egmore in Chennai, the Capital of Tamil Nadu. This follows representations made to him by the Viharadhipati of the Maha Bodhi Vihara, Ven. Theeniyawala Palitha Thera.

Ven. Palitha who is also the Viharadhipati of the Nugegoda Nalandarama said that the Mahabodhi Vihara provided very economical accommodation to a vast number of Lankan Buddhist pilgrims visiting India annually. The water supplied to the Vihara is very salty and unsafe for drinking.

The Vihara's Deputy Viharadhipati Ven. Mudalakkuliye Ratanajoti Thera said the contribution pledged by Prime Minister Wickremesinghe will meet part of the cost of a water purification plant project undertaken by the Vihara.

The total cost of the project is estimated at Sri Lanka Rs. 1.6 million and they hoped to raise the balance funds through contributions made by philanthropists and the Buddhist public in Sri Lanka.

He said the Mahabodhi Vihara was also engaged in Buddhist missionary work. At present, about 25 Tamil children attend dhamma classes at the Vihara. The Vihara is also conducting language classes for people interested in learning Sinhala. The well equipped library on the second floor of the building with a collection of nearly 5,000 books on Buddhism, Archaeology and other subjects attracts many readers daily. The library was fully renovated recently with the assistance of the Chennai Bank of Ceylon branch and Sri Lanka philanthropists, said Ven. Ratanajoti.

Ven. Palitha had a special word of thanks to Tec Sri Lanka for sponsoring scholarships to 25 children studying at the Vihara.

Assistance from the Lankan Buddhist public towards these noble causes undertaken by the Vihara is most welcome, he added.

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Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
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