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Narendra Modi
Image: Namal Rajapaksa Twitter page

Sri Lankan Minister hands first copy of Sinhala-Tamil translation of Bhagavad Gita to PM Narendra Modi

| @indiablooms | Oct 20, 2021, at 11:01 pm

Kushinagar: Sri Lankan Minister for Youth and Sports Namal Rajapaksa, the son of Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, on Wednesday handed over the first copy of the English Sinhala and Tamil translations of the Bhagavad Gita to Prime Minister Narendra Modi here.

Namal, who led the Sri Lankan delegation that arrived on the inaugural flight from Colombo to Kushinagar, had in his speech at the inauguration of the airport thanked Prime Minister Modi for extending a grant of $15 million to Sri Lanka for strengthening the Buddhist ties between the two countries.

He posted a series of tweets on his meeting Prime Minister Modi. He also said the translation of the Bhagavad Gita was commissioned by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa as a symbol of the people to people friendship and cultural similarities between the two countries.

“The greatest gift Sri Lanka received from India is Buddhism! We have always shared a close relationship between our nations and our people! It is the vision of HE President GotabayaR

& HE PM @narendramodi to strengthen this bond between our nations and our people.

“Handed over the first copy of the English Sinhala & Tamil translations of the Bhagwad Gita to HE PM @narendramodi today. The translation of the sacred text was commissioned by HE

@PresRajapaksa as symbol of our people to people friendship and our cultural similarities,” he tweeted.

Separately, Prime Minister Modi offered prayers at the Mahaparinirvana Temple in Kushinagar as part of the Abhidhamma Day prayers and also planted a Bodhi tree sapling.

He performed Chivar Dana (presented robes) to all the monks present there, including the 100 monks from Sri Lanka, and also to the statue of the reclining Buddha inside the temple.

Meanwhile, Indian PM Narendra Modi inaugurated Kushinagar International Airport on Wednesday.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister said that India is the centre of the faith of Buddhist society around the world.

He termed the facility of Kushinagar International Airport, launched today as a tribute to their devotion.

This region, the Prime Minister said, is witness to the entire journey from the enlightenment of Lord Buddha to Mahaparinirvana.

"Today this important region is getting directly connected to the world," he said.

(With UNI inputs)

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