The Journey of the Holy Tree launched

Concurrent to Sacred Kapilavastu Relics exposition, a publication entitled "The Journey of the Holy Tree" was released jointly by Indian Minister of Culture, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Kumari Selja and External Affairs Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris at a symposium on "Relic Worship: History, Archaeology and Religion".

President Mahinda Rajapaksa	Indian PM Dr. Manmohan Singh

The event was held at the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute for International Relations and Strategic Studies (LKIIRSS) Auditorium, Colombo on Monday.

The publication contains papers presented by scholars from Cambodia, Indonesia, India, Nepal, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam at the International Buddhist Conference "Cultural Interface between India and Sri Lanka based on Buddhist History, Art, Literature and Philosophy", held at Kandy in March 2011.

Sri Lankan President and Indian Prime Minister have sent congratulatory messages for the publication.

In his message, President Mahinda Rajapaksa, while thanking and expressing his gratitude to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and the Government of India for the ongoing exposition of the Sacred Kapilavastu Relics, said "from the time of the arrival here of Arahat Mahinda, son of the Emperor Ashoka, more than 2300 years ago with the great message of Buddhism, relations between the two countries have flourished, based on this common heritage, with its emphasis on tolerance, compassion and understanding.

The publication is another milestone in bringing together current thinking on the universal values and philosophy propounded by the Buddha. It underscores the cultural interaction between India and Sri Lanka in a vast range of social, religious, intellectual and cultural activities. It is a rich thread of interaction woven in the mosaic of good relations between the two countries that have lasted the test of time".

The President commended the Indian Council for Cultural Relations and other partner institutes for organizing the conference.

Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh in his message, while expressing his happiness at the publication being brought out on the occasion of the second exposition of the Sacred Kapilavastu Relics in Sri Lanka said "Since Arhat Mahinda's travel from India to Anuradhapura in the 3rd Century BC, which heralded the arrival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, Buddhism continues to be one of the common threads binding India and Sri Lanka together.

The spread of Buddhism from the land of its birth to Sri Lanka and other parts of world was not on the strength of the sword but due to its compelling philosophy of universal love, compassion and non-violence. That message of tolerance, brotherhood and mutual understanding remains as relevant today as it was in the past.

The exposition will reinforce the common cultural heritage shared between India and Sri Lanka and will strengthen the multifaceted relationship between the two countries.