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| Saturday, 1 November 2003 |
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BOC facilitates charter flights to Buddhagaya at cheap rates by Chamikara Weerasinghe BOC Travels, a subsidiary of Bank of Ceylon and SriLankan Airlines announced the launching of charter flights for pilgrimage to Dambadiva (India) in a special non-profit making programme. This will facilitate Buddhists to visit sacred sites of Buddhagaya, Varanassi, Saranath, Nalanda and Rajgir at lower costs. A travel agreement was signed yesterday between Director, Bank of Ceylon, Ronald Perera and Manager Sri Lanka, SriLankan Airlines, Ranil Wagiswara at the BoC headquarters in Colombo. BoC Chairman, Sumi Moonesinghe said the flights will commence every Thursday, taking pilgrims from Colombo to Gaya. The BOC Travels and SLA will provide meals and hotel accommodation to pilgrims for seven nights including airfare at Rs. 39,400. "The travel package includes a one-day meditation session for pilgrims under the Bodhi tree where the Buddha attained Nibbana. Bodhi Pujas and sil observation are also included in the package," she said adding that Bank of Ceylon has started a loan scheme for those unable to pay the air ticket in one instalment. The bank will give a free ticket to every 15 paying passengers to make a group of 16, she said. The package would last for six weeks until January 1, 2004. He said that once this programme was over SLA will introduce new pilgrim packages to India. |
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