All set for Vesak celebrations

Chamikara WEERASINGHE

COLOMBO: With the Vesak festival round the corner many preparations are being made throughout the country to celebrate the Birth, Enlightenment and the Passing Away of the Buddha.

The All Ceylon Buddhist Congress will decorate the Bauddhaloka Mawatha with colourful Vesak lanterns and bulbs during Vesak. It will also have dana pinkamas and bana discourses by erudite Buddhist monks.

The Samurdhi Authority of Sri Lanka has organised a dharma dana to impart the knowledge of the Buddha’s teachings to over 200,000 people.

The Authority’s Director General Ranvindra Hewawitharana said that they have arranged to distribute the Budu Sarana weekly, a Lake House Publication, to people attending 1,000 temples across the country with the help of 1,000 personnel attached to Samurdhi Banks.

A Vesak Pandal will be put up at Kosgashandiya, Grandpass Colombo depicting the Rajowatha Jathaka story. Illustrations are by Pushpananda Denipitiya and Sunil Kalansuriya.

The Ministry of Housing and Common Amenities will have a Vesak Bathi Gee programme, performed by the ministry’s staff opposite ministry premises at Chittampalam A. Gardiner Mawatha, Colombo 2 on May 1 from 7 pm. Vocalists Edward Jayakody, Sunil Edirisinghe, Somatileke Jayamaha, Ishak Beg , Deepika Priyadarshani and Charitha Priyadarshani will participate.

The Bureau of Foreign Employment of Sri Lanka has organised a Sila-Bhavana programme throughout the day at the Bureau today.

Rajakeeya Panditha Ven. Thalpawila Kusalagnana Thera will deliver a dharma discourse to the participants which will be followed by a dhamma discussion.

The All Ceylon Buddhist Congress’s Central Province Branch has organised Vesak celebrations at Dharmaraja College on May 1 for the students. The Branch will hold a Sila- bhavana programme at Peradeniya University ground.

The Police will hold its annual Vesak Bhakthi Gee Programme at Bambalapitiya Police Grounds today. The Inspector General of Police and his wife will host the event.

Morawaka Police has declared a Vesak zone covering a radius of three kilometres with the participation of state institutions, business community and Dhamma Schools in the area.

The Ministry of Urban Development and Sacred Area Development will place a Buddha statue at Mahamevuna on April 29 at 8.30 pm.

The Ceylon Electricity Board will host a dan sala on May 1 in front of the CEB head office in Colombo.

An ice cream and school stationary dansela organised for the 12th consecutive year by the Millennium Sports Club, Mahara will be held at Jinasena Mawatha, Mahara from 5.30 p.m. on May 2.