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Lankan monks seek Dalai Lama’s visit, blessings to overcome economic crisis
New Delhi:A group of high-ranking Sri Lankan Buddhist Monks, who were on a pilgrimage to Bodh Gaya recently, is now seeking His Holiness Dalai Lama’s visit to Sri Lanka, which is reeling under a severe economic crisis.
They met the Buddhist spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, in Bodh Gaya, on December 27, and were overwhelmed by witnessing a large gathering at the holy city.
Most Venerable Waskaduwe Mahindawansa Mahanayake Thera, Mahanayake Thera, Sri Sambuddha Sasanodaya Sangha Sabha, told ANI, in an interview, “His Holiness came to India and people should know why he came to India. Why he settled down in India? India helped His Holiness, and now because of His Holiness, we know thousands of tourists are in Bodh Gaya.”
He added: “These days, Bodh Gaya is very cold and people usually don’t come, but people are there because of His Holiness. Bodh Gaya is benefitted in many ways. Is Tibet benefitted? We should think about this part also.”
The high-ranking monk wished the Dalai Lama to visit Sri Lanka and help to overcome the economic hardships his country has been facing currently.
“I believe, like His Holiness has been to Bodh Gaya. If he goes to Sri Lanka, many thousands of tourists will come to Sri Lanka which will boost the economy because we are in a crisis situation. And, if His Holiness goes to Sri Lanka, many tourists will come here similar to Bodh Gaya. We will be blessed and the economy will also be boosted”, he said.
Most Ven Makulewe Wimala Mahanayake Thera, Chief Prelate of Sri Lanka Ramanna Maha Nikaya, was also overwhelmed to meet the Dalai Lama.
He said, “His Holiness the Dalai Lama is a spiritual leader and we were very happy to meet him there. We have an understanding of spiritual activities. So, the Maha Sangha from Sri Lanka is happy to see what his Holiness is doing”.
Ven. Muruddeniya Dhammarathana, Thera of the Asgiri Chapter, said, “Actually we are very happy, Bodh Gaya is like our motherland because the Buddha got enlightenment there. This is not my first-time visit. I have visited 2-3 times before. Especially yesterday and the day before yesterday there was an important event, we were lucky to meet his holiness Dalai Lama and a lot of Lamas and monks from different parts of the world”.
He added, “We saw thousands of people there, especially to listen to his holiness Dalai Lama’s speech. We were very happy seeing and listening to his teaching and again we were so lucky to come and worship the holy Bodhi tree. I think this is a very good chance we are here”.
Sri Lanka is still recovering from an unprecedented financial crisis it faced in 2022 that also sparked political turmoil in the island nation. India extended much-needed help to a neighbor in need by providing financial assistance of nearly 4 billion USD during the year.
The high-ranking Sri Lankan Buddhist Monks on their visit to India thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the help and also sought the blessings of their spiritual leader HH Dalai Lama to overcome the challenges. (ANI)
Accepting deposits from political parties and independent groups who intend to contest the forthcoming Local Authorities Election ended at 12noon today [19].
Deposits were accepted at respective District Secretariats from 3rd March 2025.
The Elections Commission has announced that the deadline for the accepting of nominations for the LA poll is set to conclude at 12:00 noon tomorrow (20).
It has been reported that the former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Deshabandu Tennakoon has appeared before the Matara Magistrate’s Court this morning (19),
The former IGP had been evading arrest after the Matara Magistrate’s court had ordered his arrest regarding a shooting incident that took place in front of the W15 Hotel Pelena, Weligama, Matara, in 2023.
The government has begun recovering funds obtained by former Lands and Land Development, Environment and Wildlife Resources Minister SM Chandrasena for the Janatha Lanka Chilli Marketing Limited (JLCML), which he headed, Parliament was informed yesterday.
Agriculture, Livestock, Land, and Irrigation Minister Namal Karunaratne said that as the Chairman of JLCML, Chandrasena had obtained a loan of Rs. 1,275,000 from the Mihintale Govijana Seva Bank in 2001.
The principal of the loan had not been repaid until the end of last year. “After we came to power, we demanded that the loan be settled. Then, we discovered that the interest on the loan had not been paid for the past 24 years, and attempts had been made to have the loan written off. We stopped that and are now in the process of recovering the interest of Rs. 1,975,233 on the loan,” Karunaratne said.
Karunaratne added that JLCML was registered as a company with the Registrar of Companies on March 21, 2001. As Chairman of the company, Chandrasena requested a loan of Rs. 10 million on April 19, 2001, for the purpose of purchasing chillies from farmers in 12 farmer colonies in the Mihintale Agrarian Service area.
The request was approved by the Mihintale Agrarian Service Committee on the same day and referred to the Anuradhapura District Agrarian Operations Committee, which approved it on April 23, 2001. However, the Agriculture Development Commissioner General recommended that a loan of Rs. 1.2 million would suffice for this purpose. JLCML took the loan and failed to repay it until the end of last year. When the matter was raised, the principal was paid, and we are now in the process of recovering the interest that was not paid for the past 24 years,” Karunaratne added.
By Saman Indrajith
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