Measures have already been taken to hold the Buddha Rashmi Vesak Festival on April 29, 30 and May 1, 2 and 3 along Nawam Mawatha and surrounding areas of the Gangaramaya Temple and at the Temple Trees premises featuring pandals, vesak lanterns and display of Sacred Relics of the Buddha.
The Buddha Rashmi Vesak Festival will be opened by President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe at 7 pm on April 29.
The Sacred Relics of the Buddha brought from India and Pakistan would be displayed along with the historic artefacts including the Deepankara Buddha’s Statue, Shakyamuni Buddha’s statue and the Maithree Bosath’s statue brought from Nepal and Bhutan.
The Sacred Relics of the Buddha brought to Sri Lanka for the first time from Varanasi (Baranesa) in Sarnath in India and the Sacred Relics of the Buddha brought to Sri Lanka from the Thakshala Museum in Pakistan will be placed at Temple Trees and devotees will have the opportunity to worship them during the Buddha Rashmi Vesak Festival.
The Sacred Relics will be exhibited to the public from 7 pm on April 29 until 4 pm on May 3. During this period stalls, cultural shows, Bakthi Gee programmes and Dansel would be organised by various public and private institutions and the forces within the Buddha Rashmi Vesak Festival Zone.