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Thousands attend funeral of people’s monk in India
View(s):The funeral with state honours provided by the Central Government of India for Sri Lankan born monk Ven. Galagedera Pannananda Thera was held at Sravasti in Uttar Pradesh last Sunday amidst a large gathering, including 500 Buddhist monks from 14 countries, including India, Thailand, China, Korea, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
Minister Gamini Jayawickrama Perera at Sravasti
Some 15,000 Indian Buddhists were also present to pay homage to the 89-year-old monk who left Sri Lanka at the age of 15 and was ordained in Lucknow in 1941. He was a spiritual leader to hundreds of thousands of Indians who embraced Buddhism in India’s post-Independence period.
Ven. Pannananda Thera was Bhikku-in-charge of the Lucknow Centre of the Maha Bodhi Society of India and a patron of the society at the time of his demise.
The Government of Sri Lanka was represented by Buddha Sasana Minister Gamini Jayawickrama Perera who went as a special envoy of President Maithripala Sirisena.
Acting Sri Lanka High Commissioner to India, M. Lenagala, and the Buddha Sasana Ministry’s Assistant Secretary Chintaka Jayasinghe accompanied the Minister.
President Sirisena in a condolence message read out by Minister Jayawickrama Perera referred to the “colossal loss” not only to the people of Sri Lanka, but also to the Buddhists in India by the monk’s passing away.
Ven. Pannananda Thera followed the Buddha’s advice “Charitha Bhikkawe Charikan” and travelled to remote corners of India spreading the message of the Dhamma.
The late Ven. Pannananda Thera was proficient in Hindi, Sinhala, English, Pali and Sanskrit and had a deep knowledge of the Dhamma. He had abundant communication skills to spread the Dhamma, the President said in his message.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in a message referred to the monk’s participation at a historic event at Nagpur where the architect of India’s Constitution Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and 50,000 of his followers embraced Buddhism.
He rendered yeomen service towards Buddhism and was closely associated with the activities of the Maha Bodhi Society of India, the Prime Minister said in his message.
Speaker Karu Jayasuriya also sent a condolence message earlier.
Minister Jayawickrama Perera spoke of the late monk’s “unparalleled service” to the Buddha Sasana and that it will be remembered the world over. He said the late monk had dedicated his life to the noble cause of Dhammadutha service under the auspices of the Maha Bodhi Society of India for 75 years and that he “enormously contributed” to the improvement of the Buddhist connectivity between Sri Lanka and India.
Indian President Ramnath Kovind and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and former Chief Minister Mayawati had paid their respects earlier in the week.
Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale represented the Government of India and Minister for Labour, Employment and Coordination Swami Prasad Maurya represented the Government of the state of Uttar Pradesh at the funeral.
| India urged to build Pali university in memory of Ven. Pannananda | |
Several Buddhist monks in India in their funeral sermons requested the Indian Government to consider setting up a Pali University in memory of Ven. Galagedera Pannananda Thera.  Courtesy: Times of India The request came when Uttar Pradesh Minister Swami Prasad Maurya said that a memorial will be built in Lucknow for Ven. Galagedera Pannananda Thera. “Till then, his ashes will be kept at the Ambedhkar Memorial Office where the ashes of Baba Saheb Ambedkhar are akready kept”, he said. Paying tributes to the monk on behalf of state government, Indian Cabinet Minister Swami Prasad Maurya said a memorial for Pnnananda Thero will be built in Lucknow. “Till then, his ashes will be kept in the Ambedkar Mahasabha office where the ashes of Baba Saheb Ambedkar are already kept,” he said. Ven. Devendra Thera, one of the six main disciples of the late Ven. Pannananda Thera said that the late monk dedicated his life to the cause of education. “He started a school in Jetawanaramaya. Even today, there are just two inter colleges in Shravasti. A university will benefit people — something which Guruji strived for,” he said. Former head of UP Baudh Shodh Sansthan, Bhikku Chandima said: “The biggest sutra in Buddhism is service to humans, and education is the biggest instrument of change. I would rather propose a memorial university.” Ven. Dr. K. Siri Sumedha Thera, former Deputy General Secretary of the Maha Bodhi Society of India said that while it is good to have a memorial for the late Ven. Pannananda Thera, it would be still better to have a Pali University as India doesn’t have a single Pali University. President, Ambedkar Mahasabha, Lalji Nirmal meanwhile said that the efforts to find land for the memorial for the late Thera have begun. “A piece in Mawai Pariyana area of Lucknow has been spotted. Short listing will follow soon,” he said adding, “respect to Ven. Pannananda Thera is an indirect way to remember Baba Saheb (Ambedkhar).” |