Chinese Bhikkhus to participate in Norochcholai ceremony

Wasantha RAMANAYAKE

A traditional Buddhist religious ceremony with the participation of Shaolin Buddhist monks from China will be held on August 20 marking the erection of the roof over the main building housing generators of the Norochcholai Coal fired power plant, a Power and Energy Ministry official said.

The Chief Prelates of the Malwatte and Asgiriya Chapters and Ramannya Nikaya will also participate in the religious ceremonies, the spokesman said.

Power and Energy Minister W. D. J. Senevirathne, Power Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage and Buddhist Affairs Minister Pandu Bandaranayake will participate.

Quoting the Chinese Construction Company official, the spokesman said a Buddha statue of the Shaolin tradition will be installed at the power plant premises.

The completion of the construction of the main building would mark the end of the main civil engineering work.

Other construction work would be completed by the beginning of next year.

He said that the construction of the second and third phases of the power plant would also begin in October this year and is expected to be completed by 2012. He said the total cost of the project would exceed $ 1,346 million, funded mainly by China.