Vesak marked with religious celebrations island wide

Vesak celebrations got underway today morning despite adverse weather conditions making the best events after a lapse of four years.

More religious events as well as Dansal have been organized across the country compared to the last four years where celebrations had to be curtailed first due to the Easter Sunday bombings, the COVID 19 situation and the last year’s ‘Aragalaya’ demonstration followed by violence across the country.

The President, Ranil Wickramasinghe, in his  message marking the Vesak celebrations, requested the public  to rally together in solidarity and unity according to the teachings of the Buddha to rebuild a prosperous Sri Lanka.

“In this challenging time when the country is facing an unprecedented economic crisis, the timeless philosophy of the Buddha has become a source of comfort. Therefore, in order to overcome the challenge of establishing a normal life after this difficult period, it is essential to come together as the Buddha said”, the message said.

The Prime Minister, Dinesh Gunawardena, also issued a message marking Vesak, commenting on the influence of the discipline received from Buddhism for the improvement of national and religious harmony. 

Meanwhile, the Police have notified a special traffic plan in the city of Colombo to ease the people visiting the Vesak zones.

Hence, the Police have made known of designated areas to park vehicles, and the public has been restrained from parking on the main roads, bystreets or on pavements.

The Police further mentioned that vehicles would be cleared away and fines would be imposed for parking violations.

The parking spaces for the Gangaramaya Buddha Rashmi Vesak zone are Union Place – from Kompanna Vidiya Junction to Ibbanwala Junction, Dharmapala Mawatha – from Hunupitiya Crossroad to F.R. Senanayake Mawatha, F.R. Senanayake Mawatha – from Dharmapala Mawatha to Kannangara Mawatha and Vauxhall Street.

The parking spaces for the Bauddhaloka Mawatha Vesak Zone are Maitland Place car park, Independence Mawatha, Vidya Mawatha, Sarana Road and R.G. Senanayake Mawatha.

Another parking space has been allotted for Galle Face Green as the car park where the old Defence Ministry building is. 

At Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara, although a lesser number was observed indulging in religious activities, devotees were seen in the sheltering under umbrellas. In several other locations too, including Kandy Dalada Maligawa the adverse weather did not deter devotees. (Pix by M. A. Pushpakumara)