Countrywide religious ceremonies to mark President's birthday

Countrywide religious programmes will be held in temples, kovils, churches and mosques to mark President Mahinda Rajapaksa's birthday and the first anniversary of his second term of office and invoke blessings on him and the country. An allnight pirith ceremony will be held at the Janadhipati Mandiraya today followed by a sanghika dana at Temple Trees tomorrow under a programme organised by the Presidential Secretariat.

The Maha Sangha will be conducted to Temple Trees from the Hunupitiya Gangaramaya in a colourful procession.

Apart form this, pinkamas to invoke blessings on the President will be held at temples and places of worship in all provinces including the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi Anuradhapura, Kelaniya Raja Maha Viharaya, Bellanwia Raja Maha Viharaya, Kalutara Bodhi, Matara Bodhi, Tissamaharama Raja Maha Viharaya, Mahiyangana Raja Maha Viharaya, Vavuniya Sri Sudharmarama Maha Viharaya and Batticaloa Manglaramaya today and tomorrow. Programmes will include all night pirith ceremonies and a series of dhammadesana, said a press release by the President's Media Division. Meanwhile, Hindu poojas to invoke blessings on the President will be held at the Mannar Thirukeshwaram kovil, Trincomalee Thiru Koneshwaram kovil, Chilaw Munneswaram kovil, Batticaloa Thanthoshwaram kovil and Mayurapathi kovil, Machittapuram Sri Murugan kovil and several other kovils, said Brahmasri Ramachandra Aiyar, Co-ordinator of Hindu Religious Affairs.

Christian services to invoke blessings will be held at several churches countrywide including the Galle Face church and the Nuwara Eliya Labukelle church, said Rev Sarath Hettiarachchi.

Muslim religious services to invoke blessings on the President will be held at Mosques countrywide led by the Davatagaha Mosque, Colombo.