Addressing the media at his Ministry at Sethsiripaya yesterday, Minister Premadasa said that the Presidential Secretariat in collaboration with the Cultural Affairs Ministry, Buddha Shasana Ministry and other Ministries have organised several island wide religious programmes in line with this initiative. Along with this measures have also been taken to conduct ‘Shabda Pooja’, ‘Pindapatha Dana’, religious activities in schools and Dhamma Schools and some other religious programmes, with the assistance of media institutions, private and public sector institutions.
Measures have also been taken to exhibit the sacred relics of Lord Buddha in five temples in Hambantota, Polonnaruwa, Ampara, Kurunegala and Rathnapura districts.In line with this, measures have also been taken to start the construction of Rs.33 million worth Dhamma school buildings at 226 Temples Island wide and it is expected to complete the construction of these buildings within three months and offer them to the Buddha Sasana. The minister requests all Buddhists to hoist Buddhist flags at their homes and also to display Buddhist flags in their vehicles.
The Cabinet of Ministers have approved a proposal made by President Maithripala Sirisena to request the United Nations to declare the Buddhist scripture Tripitaka as a World Heritage.“President Maithripala Sirisena is the only the leader in recent history who has mediated to make the Tripitaka a World Heritage,” the Minister observed .
The President officially proclaimed the Sacred Tripitaka as a National Heritage on January 5, 2019 at a State ceremony held at the historic Aluvihare Temple in Matale.“Getting the World Heritage recognition is not an easy task and we will have to work efficiently and enthusiastically to achieve this,” the minister noted. The minister pledged to work hard to achieve this goal in order to fulfill the vision of the President and also for the betterment of the Buddha Shasana.
The government has declared a week named “Thripitakabhivandana week” from March 16 to 23 in view of the declaration of Theravada Thripitaka as a World Heritage.The national ceremony to submit the request letter to the UNESCO representatives seeking the World Heritage recognition to the Tripitakaya will be held on a grand scale at the Dalada Maligawa premises on March 23, 2019, Housing, Construction and Cultural Affairs Minister Sajith Premadasa said.
Addressing the media yesterday at his Ministry in Sethsiripaya, Minister Premadasa said that the Presidential Secretariat in collaboration with Cultural Affairs Ministry, Buddha Shasana Ministry and other Ministries has organized several island wide religious programmes in line with this initiative.
According to that measures have been taken to conduct ‘Shabda Pooja’, ‘Pindapatha Dana’, religious activities in schools and Dhamma Schools and some other religious programmes with the assistance of media institutions, private and public sector institutions.
Measures have also been taken to exhibit the sacred relics of Lord Buddha in five temples in Hambantota, Polonnaruwa, Ampara, Kurunegala and Rathnapura districts.
