Massive crowds worship Sri Dalada

S. A. Jiffrey ABDEEN, Kandy South Corr.

The Sacred Tooth Relic exposition, which is being held at the Sri Dalada Maligawa, Kandy had drawn over 1.2 million devotees during the last few days. The exposition will conclude on Tuesday (17).

Daily queues with four persons abreast are formed in the afternoon and extend along Sri Sangaraja Mawatha upto Maha Maya College and other queues on Dharmapala Mawatha also extend very far every day.

Though rains come down in the afternoons or evenings pilgrims remained in queues and voluntary religious organisations and individuals provide drinks and refreshments to the pilgrims.

But the influx of heavy traffic mainly carrying pilgrims to the city in the afternoon created traffic congestion and some of the roads have been closed to traffic, especially those near the Sri Dalada Maligawa. Large crowds congregated in the city from morning even yesterday to worship the Tooth Relic.

Over 1.2 million devotees have so far worshipped the Sacred Tooth Relic at the exposition at the Sri Dalada Maligawa which began on March 6 will conclude on March 17.

Daily large crowds throng to Kandy to worship the exposition and the queues which 3 or 4 lines in breadth had extended upto Vidyartha College on Friday. There are several other queues too along Sri Sangaraja Mawatha which extended upto Mahamaya College and also along Dharmapala Mawatha.

The very bright sunshine in the mornings and the rains in the afternoons did not discourage the large crowds who wended their way for their turn to worship at the Sri Dalada Maligawa. Many organisations and individuals provide free refreshments and drinks to those in the queues.

There are also mobile toilets for the convenience of the crowds with some of them waiting from the previous day.

The Kandy Police under the direction of the Central Province DIG Pujitha Jayasundera do a good job in helping the crowds with their courteous approach.

But the main problem faced by the residents and the visitors to Kandy is traffic jams and congestion resulting from very large number of vehicles coming into the city and leaving the city and this is experienced mostly in the afternoons.

A couple of roads near the Sri Dalada Maligawa has been closed for better control of the large crowds and as a result traffic from the Katugastota side has been diverted through either cemetery road or turn off from D.S. Senanayake Veediya into Haras Weediya and Yatinuwara Veediya and upper section of Colombo Street.

A number of streets have also been declared ‘No Parking’ zones.

The Kandy Police has also decided on a temporary measure to ease the traffic jams to make William Gopallawa Mawatha one way from the Hospital junction upto Gatambe and only vehicles leaving Kandy will be permitted to use this road.

Likewise the old Peradeniya Road is also one way from Gatambe and only vehicle coming into Kandy will be permitted to use this road.

Large crowds were seen in Kandy yesterday morning too to worship the Sacred Tooth Relic.