ISLAMABAD, June 28 (APP): Over 9.3 million devotees have paid their
respects and homage to the holy relics from Taxila Pakistan during
the month long exposition of the sacred relics in Sri Lanka.
Talking to APP here at Ministry of National History and Literary Heritage, Sri Lankan Minister for Internal Affairs and Cultural Affairs S.B.Navinna appreciated the gesture of the friendship expressed by the government of Pakistan for sending sacred relics to Sri Lanka for public exposition during Visakha festival.
He said that in addition to the millions of devotees the President of Sri Lanka, the Prime Minister, Speaker of Sri Lankan Parliament, Ministers, Parliamentarian, Secretaries of Ministries, Commanders of the Armed forces, Inspector General Police and other prominent personalities paid homage to the sacred relics from Pakistan.
During the month long stay in the Island, the holy relics remained in Colombo for a 4-day public exposition from May 21 to 24.
Subsequently, expositions were held in Gampaha (May 25-26),
Kurunegala (May 27-28), Kalutara (May 29-June 1st), Ratnapura (June
2-3), Galle (June 04-05), Matara (June 06-07), Hambantota (June 08-
09), Moneragala (June 10-11), Badulla (June 12-13), Ampara (June 14-
15), Polonnaruwa (June 16-17), Anuradhapura (June 18-19) and Kandy
(June 20-21).
The exhibition of the sacred relics in Sri Lanka has further strengthened the already existing deep rooted cultural relations between the two friendly nations, he added.
The sacred relics included the Holy bone relics of Lord Buddha, a golden casket containing the relics and a stone reliquary in stupa shape.
