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Vesak: Focus on religious ceremonies not State festivals
More emphasis will be given to religious ceremonies this Vesak in the aftermath of a week that saw mayhem, death and destruction as violence ripped through the country.
The country’s dire economic situation has also put a damper on the festival.
This year's Vesak celebrations are expected to be lowkey. Pic by Rekha Tharangani Fonseka
Buddhist Affairs Commissioner General Sunanda Kariyapperuma said there would be no state functions but temples would mark Vesak, with one of the main religious events to be held at the Kuragala Rajamaha Viharaya in the Ratnapura District.
A few pandals had come up around Colombo city but with uncertainty over night time curfew in operation and the prevailing fuel crisis, organisers were not sure if they could draw crowds.
Meanwhile it was observed that there were only a few dansal organised by people. The Public Health Inspectors too said the number of registered dansal was also less this year. Public Health Inspectors Union Secretary S. I. Bopitiyage said compared to the past years there was only a 20 percent registration of dansal.
However he said they would conduct inspections of the dansal to see whether food was prepared in clean and sanitary conditions.
The pandal in Pettah. Pic by Eshan Fernando
“We believe that the economic crisis, fuel and cooking gas shortage and the difficulties in organising events are the reasons for the lower number of dansal this year,” Mr. Bopitiyage said.
He said only one or two dansal were situated within most Medical Officer of Health (MOH) areas and most of the dansal registered were offering rice and curry or refreshments.
In a Vesak message, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said resilience was essential in difficult situations. At this juncture when the country was in dire straits, all people’s representatives must work together immediately for a solution on behalf of all citizens. The true goal should be to reach the desired target without deviating from the primary goal.
We must be mindful of the current situation and unite around a programme that could deliver a fair determination to all. That was the Buddhist policy. On this noble day of Vesak, I urge you to use the concept of Licchavi for this purpose and work together to resolve the crisis.
Newly appointed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe issuing a Vesak message said people should remember this year’s great Sambuddha ceremony while keeping in mind that the whole country has new wishes.
He said it was important to understand Lord Buddha’s path and practically use it to alleviate the situation that has befallen the country.
“We should commit to restore the lives of the people of Sri Lanka and bring stability to the entire nation once again,” he said.
Opposition leader Sajith Premadsa in his message said Lord Buddha’s message was that selflessness without greed for power, opportunistic behaviour or selfishness would make the world a beautiful place.
Former President Maithripala Sirisena in his Vesak message said during this Vesak season, “we must be determined to make the country a sustainable, prosperous and secure one by working with great dedication and patience in this challenging time.”
Meanwhile the Police said they would provide security according to the requirements of each area. A senior Police officer said they would deploy more officers to crowded areas and they would also use the support of Police intelligence to prevent violent incidents. Police media spokesman Nihal Thalduwa said they had instructed area Deputy Inspectors General to deploy adequate numbers of Police officers to provide security based on the need in their respective areas.
“We have already cancelled leave of Police officers and have deployed them in the field. Therefore more officers would be deployed near dansal and pandals where more people will gather,” he said.
He said Police intelligence too was working towards avoiding and defusing violence if such activity took place, and extra Police officers had been deployed near the Presidential Secretariat and on Galle Road in Colombo.
| Vesak wishes from the UN United Nations Secretary General António Guterres extended wishes to all celebrating Vesak. Issuing a statement he said “for millions of Buddhists around the world, May’s full moon represents a sacred occasion honouring the birth, enlightenment and passing of Lord Buddha.” This year, Vesak arrives at a moment of multiplying crises; an unequal recovery from COVID-19, the punishing effects of climate change, conflicts, divisions and violence. Each crisis reminds us of how far we have fallen away from Lord Buddha’s timeless teachings. This Vesak, let us seize this moment of spiritual renewal, and honour Buddha’s wisdom by coming together as one, in solidarity, and shaping a better, more peaceful world for all people. “Acknowledging the contribution of Buddhism to the world, an eminent Sri Lankan the then Foreign Minister Hon. Lakshman Kadirgamar, brought a proposal to the United Nations General Assembly to make the Buddhist holy day an International Observance Day. Vesak was thus declared a Day of Observance by a General Assembly Resolution in 1999,” The UN Resident Coordinator Hanaa Singer-Hamdy said in a press release. ”Today the United Nations stands with Sri Lanka, we admire the resilience shown by her people, and are hopeful of a peaceful recovery from the current crisis,” she said | |
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