President Maithripala Sirisena yesterday handed over Rs 45 million to gold-plate the Ran Viyana (Golden Canopy) of Sri Dalada Maligawa, the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, Kandy.
The President presented a cheque for Rs 45 million to Kandy District Secretary H. M. P. Hitisekera at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo yesterday. The President has made the allocation responding to call by the Mahanayaka Theras of the Malwathu and Asgirita Chapters.
The Maligawa’s Ran Viyana, which is placed above the Buddha’s Sacred Tooth Relic of the temple, was built and donated to it by late President Ranasinghe Premadasa.
The Ran Viyana was damaged during the LTTE bomb attack targeting the Maligawa in 1998. It was renovated in 2001.