February 10, Colombo (LNW): The sacred Devnimori relics of Lord Buddha, recently brought from India, continue to be on public display at Colombo’s Gangaramaya Temple for the sixth consecutive day today (10).
Venerable Kirinde Assaji Thero, head of the temple, announced that devotees will be able to pay their respects until 10:00 p.m. this evening. The display has already attracted large crowds, including the Speaker of Parliament, government ministers, diplomats, and numerous devotees, who gathered yesterday to venerate the precious relics.
The Devnimori relics, unearthed during excavations in the 1960s at the historic Devnimori site in Gujarat, India, have never before been taken outside India, making this exhibition particularly significant for both Sri Lankan and international Buddhists.
A delegation of Indian dignitaries, including Madhya Pradesh Governor Mangubhai C. Patel and Arunachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein, arrived in Sri Lanka yesterday to accompany the relics on their return journey to India.
The exhibition is set to conclude early tomorrow morning, at 6:00 a.m., after which the relics will be ceremoniously returned, marking the end of a historic visit that has strengthened cultural and religious ties between the two nations.
