Update: Special flight to India to ferry 900 Lankan Buddhist pilgrims to home

At least  900 Sri Lankan Buddhist pilgrims who are currently in India will return home before midnight today as the Ministry of Buddha Sasana in coordinating with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs organized a special flight for their return, Secretary to the Ministry M.K. Bandula Harichandra said. The measure comes in the wake of the travel and other restrictions that have arisen due to the rapidly spreading Covid-19.

According to the information gathered by the High Commission of Sri Lanka in New Delhi and the Deputy High Commission of Sri Lanka in Chennai, there are approximately 1200 Sri Lankan Buddhist pilgrims belonging to 22 tour groups currently in India. These pilgrims had arrived in India before the Government of Sri Lanka suspended Dambadiva pilgrimages on 09 March 2020. However, these numbers, secured by contacting Sri Lankan Buddhist temples in India and tour groups themselves, may have some duplication in certain instances, given that some tour groups are on the move. 

The Sri Lanka Diplomatic Missions are closely in touch with the Sri Lankan Buddhist monks at the Buddhist pilgrimage sites in North India and the tour groups themselves. The tour groups have been requested to expedite their return travel arrangements in view of the evolving situation, a statement from the Foreign Ministry said yesterday.