President opens Sri Lanka Maha Vihara in Lumbini
Chamikara WEERASINGHE
President Mahinda Rajapaksa ceremonially opened the Sri Lanka Maha
Vihara, a monastery constructed by the Sri Lankan Government in Lumbini,
Nepal, the birth place of the Buddha as the Prince Siddhartha Gautama
yesterday morning.
The President is on a three-day official visit to Nepal.
He held meetings with Nepalese President Dr Ram Baran Yadav, Prime
Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, Deputy Prime Minister Sujata Koirala and
other political leaders, sources at the President’s office said.
The President donated the Vihara to the Maha Sangha comprising of a
rains-residence and a resting-hall for the bhikkhus along with a library
and a museum for the use of Buddhist pilgrims and devotees and
non-Buddhist pilgrims who visit the heritage city of Lumbini.
The Vihara was constructed under the first phase Maha Vihara
Construction Project at a cost of Rs. 74 million spending funds of the
Sri Lanka Lumbini Development Trust Fund which was established by
President Rajapaksa to restart construction of the monastery abandoned
for over two decades.
The President has declared his plans to reconstruct the Dutugemunu
Rest House, which is situated near the Sri Lanka Maha Vihara for the
benefit of pilgrims, sources said.
The Lumbini Development Trust Fund has allocated Rs. 195 million for
the second phase of the Vihara’s development. President Rajapaksa
donated Rs.1.5 million to the Lumbini Trust Fund on this occasion. He
was accompanied by First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa and Nepalese
Parliamentary and Cultural Affairs Minister Dr. Minendra Rijal and other
Ministers.
The President journeyed the Lumbini Sacred area and visited the Maha
Bodhi Vihara where he paid homage to the Buddha.
Ministers Chamal Rajapaksa, Nimal Siripala de Silva, Rohitha
Bogollagama, Tissa Karaliyadda, Mervyn Silva, Sri Lankan Ambassador for
Nepal Thosapala Hewage, Presidential Additional Secretary Gamini
Senarath and Presidential Foreign Affairs Coordinating Secretary Sajin
Vass Gunawardena were also present.
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