Gandhara sacred relics exposition

Religious and political leaders welcomed the Holy Relics of the Buddha from Pakistan’s Gandhara region on Friday night at the Bandaranaike International Airport.

Minister for Public Administration and Management Ranjith Madduma Bandara, Minister for Sustainable Development and Wildlife Gamini Jayawickrama Perera, Senior bhikkhus, high ranking government officials, religious scholars and Deputy High Commissioner and officers of the High Commission of Pakistan received the holy relics.

Secretary, National History and Literary Heritage (NH&LH), S. Mohsin Haqqani, Joint Secretary NH&LH and the curator of Taxila museum were also present.

Religious leaders performed a special pooja following the arrival of the Sacred Relics. The exposition of the Sacred Relics commenced at the Temple Trees yesterday and will be exhibited at temples around the island until Full Moon Poson Poya Day. The Sacred Relics includes two holy bone relics of the Buddha, a golden casket which contains the holy relics and a stone reliquary in stupa shape.

The Relics are part of a collection from the Taxila Museum of Pakistan, one of the most important archaeological sites in Asia.

The Deputy High Commissioner of Pakistan, Dr. Sarfraz Ahmed Khan Sipra said the Government of Pakistan is holding the Vesak festival for the first time in the history of Pakistan at Taxila valley, which was the historic capital of the ancient Gandhara region.

He said only Sri Lankan bhikkhus, religious scholars, pilgrims and media personalities have been invited by the government of Pakistan for the celebrations.