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Buddha Jayanthi: Marking 2550 years
The Mahabodhi Society of India has arranged a series of ceremonies to mark 2550 years of the Buddha Jayanthi which falls next year with Indian President Abdul Kalam and Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapakse being among those who will participate in these events, the organisers said.

The year long ceremonies will include religious, social and cultural events in places of Buddhist pilgrimage in India. The main religious ceremonies will be held at Buddha Gaya in India on February 12 in which President Rajapakse will participate and Chief Justice Sarath N.Silva will be the key note speaker. One thousands Buddhist monks will be offered alms and ‘ata pirikara’ during the religious ceremonies that day.

The ceremonies will begin in January with an international conference on humanity to be held on January 7 at Vidya Nagar and Dharmaraja Vihara in Calcutta. This conference will be inaugurated by Speaker W.J.M. Lokubandara while the keynote address will be delivered by Ven. Bellanwila Wimalarathana Thera. Religious leaders from around the world are expected to attend and address this conference.

Several leading businessmen in Sri Lanka among the sponsors of these events.
Indian President Abdul Kalam will attend the Buddha Jayanthi ceremonies to be held in New Delhi in April. Others cities where the Buddha Jayanthi celebrations of the India Maha Bodhi Society will be held include Kusinara, Sevathnuwara, Darjeeling, Sikkim and Mumbai.

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