President to attend :

Poson festivities to be on grand scale

Nimal Wijesinghe, Anuradhapura Additional District group correspondent with Kithsiri Wanasinghe

The 2013 Mihintale Poson religious festival will be held on a grand scale with the participation of President Mahinda Rajapaksa as Chief Guest. This was revealed by Mihintale Raja Maha Viharadhipathi Ven Walawahengunawewa Dhammarathana Nayaka Thera at the Poson Steering Committee Meeting held on June 3 at the Mihintale Divisional Secretariat Office.

North Central Chief Minister Ranjith Samarakoon, Education Services Minister Duminda Dissanayake, Mihintale Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman U B Sirisena, Anuradhapura District Secretary Mahinda Seneviratne and Divisional Secretary Ruwan Ekanayake were also present.

The Poson week commencing from June 20 will be continued till June 26.

Lake House Sales Manager Sunil Sendanayake said for the 51st consecutive year the Lake House “Aloka Pooja” programme would be held from June 22 to 24.

Sendanayaka said the Budhusarana sponsored oratory competitions were held on June 8 at Mihintale Maha Vidyalaya where a large number of school and dhamma school students in the North Central Province participated.

He said 1,000 dhamma school students in Mihintale DS Division were given sil clothes by the Lake House. Also 250 Dhamma School teachers were provided with sil clothes.

Anuradhapura Government Agent Mahinda Seneviratne said all arrangements to provide infrastructure facilities, such as drinking water, electricity, sanitation, life saving, approach roads, public address systems and security were being initiated to cater to nearly 3.5 million devotees expected to visit Anuradhapura and Mihintale during Poson religious festive season.

The Mihintale Raja Maha Viharadhipathi Thera emphasized that it was commendable that the highest attention of President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa have been focused to revive the past glory and splendour prevailed in Mihintale sacred city.

“On the instructions of the President the ancient monuments scattered in 580 acres of Mihintale sacred city are being restored and rehabilitated according to the archaeological criteria. The future generations will definitely commend the government’s efforts to protect, preserve and conserve the Mihintale sacred landscape to ensure its safe existence,” the prelate reiterated. Lake House Anuradhapura Branch Manager Sarath Perera and Provincial Editor Kithsiri Wanasinghe were also present along with the government and NGO officials.