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India gives state funeral for Lankan-born monk
Buddha Sasana Minister Gamini Jayawickrama Perera left yesterday to attend the state funeral arranged by the Central Government of India and the State Government of Uttar Pradesh for Sri Lankan born monk, the Most Venerable Galagedera Pannananda Thera. The minister went as the special envoy of President Maithripala Sirisena.
The Most Ven. Pannananda Thera passed away on November 30 nearing the age of 90. His funeral will be held today (Dec. 17) in Lucknow with full state honours.
Minister Jayawickrama Perera is accompanied by the Buddha Sasana Ministry’s Assistant Secretary Chintaka Jayasinghe. Sri Lanka’s Deputy High Commissioner in New Delhi, M. Lenagala will join the Sri Lankan delegation in Lucknow.
Venerable Galagedera Pannananda Thera
The Minister is expected to read out a special condolence message from President Sirisena at the funeral ceremony. Speaker Karu Jayasuriya has also send a condolence message to the General Secretary of the Maha Bodhi Society of India, Ven. P. Seevali Thera on the passing away of the senior monk who was responsible for hundreds of thousands of Indians becoming Buddhists in the state of Uttar Pradesh.
In his message, Speaker Jayasuriya said the late monk dedicated his life to spreading the Dhamma in India for 70 years and did yeoman service on behalf of the Maha Bodhi Society of India. “He lived an austere and selfless life and was a role model for all Dhammadutha monks,” he said in his message.
He also mentioned the pivotal role the monk played in having India’s first Law Minister and architect of free India’s Constitution, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar and hundreds of thousands of his followers embrace Buddhism in India back in 1956. In a condolence message, the Anagarika Dharmapala Trust said the Ven. Pannananda Thera was accompanied to India at the age of 15 by the Ven. Mediwela Sangharathana Thera and Anagarika Dharmapala’s one-time private secretary Devapriya Walisinghe. He was ordained as a monk in Lucknow, India. The message referred to the many positions Ven. Pannananda Thera held in the Maha Bodhi Society including that of a Trustee, Vice President and Patron and was Bhikkhu in charge of the society’s Lucknow Centre.
India’s President Ram Nath Kovind and several Indian dignitaries have already visited Lucknow over the week and paid homage at the bier of the late Sri Lankan born monk.