CCF to be re-awakened to revive past glory
Nimal Wijesinghe - Anuradhapura additional district
group corr
Cultural Affairs Minister T B Ekanayake emphasized that the Central
Cultural Fund (CCF) would be invigorated and awakened to revive the
country’s past glory and splendour. Referring to the ancient arts and
crafts architecture, the tank culture and irrigation engineering, the
Minister said these were the miraculous features which ushered us in the
endeavours to transform the country towards the Miracle of Asia.
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Cultural Affairs Minister T B Ekanayake visiting the
Atamastana. Picture by Amila Prabath Wanasingha |
The Minister said so during his official tour in Anuradhapura sacred
city on April 18 to gather first-hand information of the excavations and
preservation sites launched in the sacred area by the CCF and also to
visit eight places of worship and to meet the chief incumbents of the
Atamasthana.
He stated the official journey from Thuparama which is supposed to be
the first dagoba in the country built by king Dewanampiyatissa and
inspected the restoration work of ancient protective wall round chetiya.
He told media that it was a priviladge to have the 2600 Sambuddhatva
Jayanthiya national religious festival in Anuradhapura sacred city on
Wesak full moon day.
As a prerequisite the landscape of historic Mahamevunauyana is being
given a face including the accelerated development of infrastructural
facilities there. Minister Ekanayake, inspected the ongoing preservation
works at the Abhayagiriya dagoba and urged the Abayagiri Preservation
Project Management to speed up the restoration work. He paid courtesy
calls on the chief incumbents of the eight places of worship (Atamastana)
including Atamastanadhipathi Ven Dr Pallegama Sirinivasa Nayaka Thera
and offered Atapirikara to them.
Ekanayake inquired from the prelates the prevailing shortcomings at
the shrines along with other immediate requirements. North Central Chief
Minister Berty Premalal Dissanayake, Ministry’s Secretary Wimal
Rubasinghe, CCF’s Director General Prof Nimal de Silva, top ranking
Ministry and CCF officials accompanied the Minister after his
appointment as the Cultural Affairs Minister. |
