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| Tuesday, 4 May 2004 |
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by Mohammed Rasooldeen in Riyadh The Sri Lankan Embassy here has organised a three-day Vesak celebrations beginning from Tuesday. The program is being arranged in cooperation with the Sri Lankan Expatriates Society, SLES, in Riyadh. The popular lay preacher, Mithra Wettimuny will participate in the program to enlighten the Buddhist members of the community on the teachings of the Lord Buddha. Sri Lankan philanthropists in the Saudi capital, the SLES, the Embassy officials and the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment, SLBFE, have generously contributed to the Vesak fund. On Tuesday, the Lankan mission in Riyadh will be fully illuminated and a Dansala will be inaugurated to offer soft drinks and short eats to the visitors. A recorded 'Bana chanting' program will begin at 7 p.m. On Thursday, a massive pandal, will be erected in the Embassy premises highlighting some of the Jathaka stories. Arrangements have been made to serve more than 2,000 Lankans with delicious Sri Lankan food. "It is an encouraging sign for the members of the Sri Lankan community irrespective of their respective faiths coming forward to celebrate this national festival of our motherland," the Sri Lankan Ambassador Ibrahim Sahib Ansar told Daily News here. He added that a lantern competition will also be held on the final day of the program. The function is open to all Sri Lankans in the Kingdom, he said. "It is our sincere effort to make every Sri Lankan homely on a foreign soil with cultural programs of this nature," Ansar said. He added that Buddhist friends will be given an opportunity to perform their religious rites within the Embassy premises. In Jeddah, the Consul General Maznavee Sadiq has chalked out a comprehensive one day Vesak program for the Lankans in the Western province. The program would include Bakthi Gee, Perahera, face mask dance, Olu Bakko and Bana preaching by Vasantha and brief speeches on the significance of Vesak by schoolchildren. The Embassy staff will host a dinner to all the visitors. |
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