Queen Offered Platinum Jubilee Buddhist Blessings at London Buddhist Vihara

London Buddhist Vihara managed by the Anagarika Dharmapala Trust held a blessing ceremony on Friday (May 27) for Queen Elizabeth II to celebrate the 70th anniversary of her reign. Chief Sangha Nayaka of Great Britain Venerable Bogoda Seelawimala hosted monks from various Buddhist traditions to chant blessings for the Queen in the presence of Chief Guest, Vice Admiral Sir Anthony Johnstone-Burt, Master of the Royal Household at Buckingham Palace.

Amongst the several Buddhist monks who participated were Venerables Ajahn Amaro (Abbot of Amaravati Buddhist Monastery, Lama Gelongma Zangmo (Layland Peace Garden Centre), Ven Dotetsuzenji, Gyoro Nagase (London Peace Pagoda), Ven Tawalama Bandula and Ven Dedunupitiye Upananda. The President of the Buddhist Society Dr Desmond Biddulph also addressed the gathering of invited well-wishers at the oldest Buddhist temple outside Asia, founded by Anagarika Dharmapala in 1926, coincidentally the same year when the current British monarch was born. A specific platinum replica of a Kandy perahera elephant for the Queen was presented as a memento gift to Sir Johnstone-Burt by Venerable Seelawimala.