Maha Bodhi Society of India conducted ‘Sri Lanka-India Ashirvad Puja’ at the sacred Mulagandhakuti Vihara in Saranath on 9 August 2021. The sacred event was held for the health and well-being of people of Sri Lanka, particularly in view of the current situation in Sri Lanka. Prayers were also offered for the continued strong bilateral partnership between India and Sri Lanka.
H.E Mahinda Rajapaksa, Prime Minister of Sri Lanka and High Commissioner of India Mr. Gopal Baglay attended these special prayers virtually. Various Temples and offices associated with the Society spread across India such as Bodh Gaya, Lumbini, Kolkata, Lucknow etc also took part in these prayers online.
At specially auspicious pre-dawn time also today, another special offering was made to Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam for Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and the people of Sri Lanka. The Prime Minister H.E. Mahinda Rajapaksa is a devotee of the Temple and has paid his reverence to the Deity during several of his visits to India.
It may be recalled that several special prayers and ceremonies were held by people of different faiths across Sri Lanka for their brethren in India during the second COVID-19 wave in India. Prayers for the well-being of each other underscore the deep people-to-people ties and civilizational linkages between the two countries.
These special prayers today at two of the most revered and sacred locations in India gain particular significance as they also mark the first anniversary of assumption of office by Prime Minister H.E. Mahinda Rajapaksa in his current term.