Celebrating the 2600th Sambuddhathwa Jayanthi Vesak in Myanmar

The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Myanmar coordinated arrangements to celebrate the 2600th Sambuddhathwa Jayanthi in a grand scale.  The Embassy compound which is 2 ½ acres, was decorated and adorned by 140 small vesak lanterns which illuminated the Embassy premises with the touch of craft brought in by the staff of the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Yangon, and the two craftsmen flew to Yangon with the courtesy of the Sri Lanka - Myanmar Friendship Association in Colombo and the DSI Group of Companies.  Moreover, a replica depicted the birth & entitlement of Buddha which was also displayed for general public on the Vesak Poya day.

In the evening, on 17th May a special Buddhist chanting and Bodhi Pooja was held at the temple in the Embassy compound which was participated by more than 300 Burmese nationals with their family members showing unprecedented enthusiasm by joining hands with the Sri Lankan community in Yangon, to commemorate this occasion so important for Buddhists.  Followed by the Bodhi Pooja, a film festival on the theme of Buddhism with the English sub-title was also screened at the Embassy auditorium.  More than 250 Burmese nationals who are friends of the Embassy attended the screening of the film.

Vesak Day  “Dansela”  provided food for more than 350 visitors who visited the Embassy to see this mega Vesak lantern and other attractive aspects of the programme on the day of Full Moon Poya Day.

In the beginning of May, 40 members of the Sri Lanka Friendship Group “Kalyani Metta” visited Sri Lanka to mark the 2600th Sambuddhathwa Jayanthi and gifted a 6 feet tall marble Buddha statue to the Sambuddhathwa Jayanthi Committee in Colombo.  Arrangements are already made to place the statue at a newly built temple in the Northern Province in Sri Lanka.