Mihintale Aloka pooja:

Dedicate to work for country’s benefit - Minister

Nimal Wijesinghe Anuradhapura Additional district group correspondent

The Mihintale Aloka pooja illumination program initiated by the late D. R. Wijewardene founder of Lake House, 47 years ago, has immensely contributed for the revival of spiritual development ushered in Sri Lanka with the arrival of Arahat Mahinda Thera at Mihintale, said Petroleum Resources Minister and Mihintale Sacred City Development Program President Duminda Dissanayake.

He was speaking after switching the Mihintale Aloka pooja illuminations on the second day on Sunday (Poson Poya day). Minister Dissanayake recalled how President Mahinda Rajapaksa after gaining the historic victory over LTTE terrorism invited the whole nation to participate in the battle of winning the economic war and gaining self-sufficiency in food.

He emphasised that there was no better and more suitable occasion than the Poson in 2009 for the people to resolve and dedicate themselves to elevate the Motherland to the standard of a developed country.

“President Mahinda Rajapaksa has been able to wipe out the LTTE menace destroying all of its top class activists including its leader Prabhakaran within three years. If we strengthen his hands done during war against terrorism, the President will be able to usher in development and progress for the nation,” he said.

There was a record crowd of devotees in Salapathala Maluwa around the Ambasthala cetiya to witness the event.

North Central Province Governor Karunaratne Divulgane, Chief Minister Berty Premalal Dissanayake, Provincial Minister of Electricity Punchi Banda Ratnayake, Public Trustee Sarath Seneviratne, Anuradhapura Government Agent H. M. K. Herath, Director (Legal) Rasanga Harischandra, Director Operations Upul Dissanayake, Lake House General Manager Abaya Amaradasa and CEB representatives jointly commissioned the illuminations.

Ven. Walawahengunuwewa Mahindarathana Thera, an incumbent of Mihintale Raja Maha Vihara and a senior lecturer at Buddhist and Pali University delivered an Anusasana.

The chief incumbent of Mihintale Raja Maha Vihara Ven. Namalwewa Rathanasara Chief Sanghanayake Thera performed the religious rituals.

The three day Mihintale Aloka Pooja program implemented for the 47th year ended yesterday. The final day illumination was commissioned by ANCL Chairman Bandula Padmakumara, Anuradhapura Government Agent H. M. K. Herath, and the CEB Chairman E. A. S. K. Edirisinghe.