Chamikara WEERASINGHE

President Mahinda Rajapaksa ceremonially opened the Sri Lanka Maha Vihara, a monastery constructed by the Sri Lankan Government in Lumbini, Nepal, the birth place of the Buddha as the Prince Siddhartha Gautama yesterday morning.

The President is on a three-day official visit to Nepal.

He held meetings with Nepalese President Dr Ram Baran Yadav, Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, Deputy Prime Minister Sujata Koirala and other political leaders, sources at the President’s office said.

The President donated the Vihara to the Maha Sangha comprising of a rains-residence and a resting-hall for the bhikkhus along with a library and a museum for the use of Buddhist pilgrims and devotees and non-Buddhist pilgrims who visit the heritage city of Lumbini.

The Vihara was constructed under the first phase Maha Vihara Construction Project at a cost of Rs. 74 million spending funds of the Sri Lanka Lumbini Development Trust Fund which was established by President Rajapaksa to restart construction of the monastery abandoned for over two decades.

The President has declared his plans to reconstruct the Dutugemunu Rest House, which is situated near the Sri Lanka Maha Vihara for the benefit of pilgrims, sources said.

The Lumbini Development Trust Fund has allocated Rs. 195 million for the second phase of the Vihara’s development. President Rajapaksa donated Rs.1.5 million to the Lumbini Trust Fund on this occasion. He was accompanied by First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa and Nepalese Parliamentary and Cultural Affairs Minister Dr. Minendra Rijal and other Ministers.

The President journeyed the Lumbini Sacred area and visited the Maha Bodhi Vihara where he paid homage to the Buddha.

Ministers Chamal Rajapaksa, Nimal Siripala de Silva, Rohitha Bogollagama, Tissa Karaliyadda, Mervyn Silva, Sri Lankan Ambassador for Nepal Thosapala Hewage, Presidential Additional Secretary Gamini Senarath and Presidential Foreign Affairs Coordinating Secretary Sajin Vass Gunawardena were also present.