Sripada season begins

S. Duraisamy, Maskeliya Group Correspondent

The annual Sripada season began yesterday with the placing of God Saman statues and idols on top of Sripada Devaleya by the Chief Incumbent of Sripada Viharaya before thousands of devotees.

The decorated motor vehicle carrying statues and idols, left Ratnapura on Saturday in a procession and reached Kitulgale, Yativeeriya at 7.00 p.m. There, the motor vehicle carrying Buddha statues and idols were received by Central Province Chief Minister Sarath Ekanayake, Livestock and Development Minister C. B. Ratnayake, and other officials.

At Kitulgale town the vehicle was received by devotees offering flowers.

The entire route from Kitulgale to Hatton Town was lit and decorated with Buddhist flags.

At Hatton, near the People’s Bank junction, the motor vehicle carrying the statues and idols were received by Youth Empowerment and Socio Economical Development Minister Arumugam Thondaman and other officials.

From Hatton Town, the motor vehicle passed through Dickoya, Glencairn, Norwood Junction, Kuda-Maskeliya and Maskeliya and arrived at Maskeliya at 12.30 a.m. yesterday.

There it toured the entire Maskeliya Town. The last destination for vehicles was Nallathanni and from Nallathanni all pilgrims to Sripada had to walk and climb Sripada. At Nallathanniya, the statues and idols were unloaded from the motor vehicle and carried by buddhist monks, and led by Ven. Dammapala Seelananda, Thera, Deputy Viharadhipathi at Sripada.