Thousands of devotees pay homage to the Sacred Kapilawastu Relics
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- Published on Tuesday, 21 August 2012 09:51
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The exposition of the Kapilawastu sacred relics in Sri which began on Sunday (19) at the Kelaniya Manelwatte temple brought thousands of devotees to the Viharaya to pay homage to the Sacred Kapilawasthu Relics at the viharaya premises.
The Sacred Kapilavastu Relics will be on exposition for public veneration 24 hours a day for devotees who will be coming from all corners of the country, Presidential Co-ordinator on Religious Affairs Ven Getamanne Gunananda said. Further the Ven Thera requested devotees not to bring cameras and any other parcels or objects when coming to worship Sacred Kapilavastu Relics.
The Sacred Kapilavastu Relics will be exposed at the Manelwaththa Temple until August 22 at 6.00 am. Thereafter, the relics will be brought to the Pellmadulla Rajamaha Viharaya. The Sacred Relics will be on exposition there on August 22 and 23, the Thera said.
An Exposition of the Sacred Buddha Relics will be held at five locations from August 19 to September 5 with Prith Chanting by the Maha Sangha.
During the landmark State Visit of President Rajapaksa to India in June 2010, it was decided that the 2600th year of the Sambuddhatva Jayanthi will be commemorated by India and Sri Lanka through joint activities. Following this agreement, President Rajapaksa requested the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, to afford Sri Lankan Buddhists an opportunity to pay homage to the sacred Kapilavastu Relics by allowing the Relics to be taken to Sri Lanka as a part of the commemoration of the 2600th year of the Sambuddhatva Jayanthi.
The request made by President Rajapaksa in the 2600th year of the Sambuddhatva Jayanthi received special consideration at the highest level of the Government of India. Making an exception, the Government of India decided to lend the sacred Relics to Sri Lanka for public veneration, once again. The sacred Relics are thus being brought to Sri Lanka after three decades since their first exposition in 1978.
