Lanka to host 2550th Buddha Jayanthi Festival

A special discussion to celebrate the 2550th Buddha Jayanthi Festival in Sri Lanka, next year, was held at Temple Trees with President Mahinda Rajapakse in the Chair yesterday(13). Ministers, Members of Parliament and officials of Government Departments including the Commissioner of Buddhist Affairs attended the discussion.

The participants discussed at length a long drawn programme to promote Buddhism as an international religion and formulate a Universal Charter on Buddhism and to conduct a Buddhist International Convention centring Sri Lanka.

A special exposition of the Sacred Tooth Relic, issue of postal stamps and souvenir coins, large scale publication of Buddhist literature, translation of Sinhala Buddhist texts into Tamil and a tourist promotion programme centring Buddhist places of worship in Sri Lanka were the main decisions taken at the discussion. Special attention was paid to foster the President's ideal of eradicating the drug menace totally and to implement a positive programme towards that end.

The President directed the Commissioner of Buddhist Affairs to discuss with the Maha Nayaka Theras of all Nikayas the celebration programme throughout the year.