Mihintale Aloka Pooja from Saturday

ANCL to illuminate Mihintale utilising over 50,000 bulbs

Uditha Kumarasinghe

COLOMBO: The entire sacred city of Mihintale will be illuminated during the Poson festival through the Mihintale Aloka Pooja organised by the Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd (ANCL).

This is 44th consecutive time the ANCL is organising the Mihintale Aloka Pooja to mark the Poson festival. This year too, Abans Limited will be the main sponsor while the Ceylon Electricity Board will be the co-sponsor.

The ANCL has made arrangements to illuminate Mihintale sacred city utilising over 50,000 bulbs from June 10 to 12.

Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake together with Power and Energy Minister W.D.J.Seneviratne and Cultural Minister Mahinda Yapa Abeywardene are scheduled to inaugurate the Aloka Pooja on June 10, the day prior to Poson Full Moon Poya Day.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Information and Media Minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa are due to participate in the second day of the ceremony on June 11, Poson Poya Day. ANCL Chairman Anil Obeysekere, PC, and CEB Chairman Chula Delgoda will be the Chief Guests on the final day of the Aloka Pooja on June 12.

The ANCL has also organised a Mihindu Perahera which will commence in front of Rajarata University on June 10 at 8.30 p.m. and proceed up to Pahatha Maluwa of the Mihintale sacred city.

This procession will be conducted as a model of the Sri Dalada Maligawa Perahera giving priority to up-country, low country and Sabaragamuwa dance traditions. When the dance troupes were selected, priority was given to the dancing institutions in Anuradhapura district.

The ANCL has also made arrangements to unveil the King Devanampiyatissa statue erected at the Mihintale Raja Maha Vihara premises.