Narendra Modi to visit Sri Lanaka for UN Vesak Day in May

Following an official request from the Sri Lankan government, the UN Vesak Day committee met at the previous UN Vesak Day held in Thailand, had agreed to host it in 2017 in Sri Lanka.

"Vesak", the Day of the Full Moon in the month of May, is the most sacred day to millions of Buddhists around the world since it was on the Day of Vesak two and a half millennia ago, in the year 623 B.C., that the Buddha was born. It was also on the Day of Vesak that the Buddha attained enlightenment, and it was on the Day of Vesak that the Buddha in his eightieth year passed away.

Justice and Buddhasasana Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe told the media that the Indian government had officially informed about Premier Modi’s participation at the 14th UN Vesak Day celebration.

“He will be here for the inauguration ceremony on May 12,” Minister Rajapaksa said,

The UN Vesak Day festival will be held from 12 to 14 in Colombo. The inauguration ceremony in Colombo will be attended by Sri Lanka’s President Maithripala Sirisena,  Modi and a host of other national and international delegates.

He said that over 2,000 delegates including Buddhist and political leaders from several countries will attend the event and a special Vesak zone will also be declared near the country’s parliamentary complex.

In 1990, the UN General Assembly declared an International Day of Observance for Vesak following a request made by the then Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar, who was later killed by the LTTE terrorists.

Minister Rajapaksa said that Nepali President Bidhya Devi Bhandari has also confirmed her participation for the closing ceremony which will be held in Kandy.