The newly elected Sri Lankan President, Anura Kumara Dissanayake is on a visit to India. Following the conclusion of Sri Lanka’s recent presidential and parliamentary elections, this is President Dissanayake first official foreign trip. After completing his official meetings, President Dissanayake visited the 1,500-year-old Mahabodhi Temple, one of the four sacred locations associated with the life of the Lord Buddha and, in particular, the achievement of enlightenment.
Upon his arrival President Anura Dissanayake had a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and discussed bilateral matters of mutual concern. In order to encourage investment and business ties between India and Sri Lanka. As part of the trip, he was also scheduled to visit the holy Buddhist site of Bodh Gaya on December 17.
Once the official meeting were done on Tuesday, December 17, the Sri Lankan President travelled to Bodh Gaya in the Gaya region of Bihar to offer prayers at the Mahabodhi Temple, which is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Bihar Ministers Prem Kumar and Santosh Kumar Suman, together with high-ranking district administration officials, met the Sri Lankan President at the airport.
President Dissanayake offered prayers at the temple with the help of Bodhgaya Temple Management Committee (BTMC) secretary Mahashweta Maharathi, Gaya District Magistrate Thiyagarajan SM, and other individuals.
The visit will not only boost the people-to-people connection but also be a symbolic gesture towards the Buddhist roots of Sri Lankans in India. The official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs tweeted corresponding images on social media site X to highlight the civilizational and spiritual ties between the two countries. He further added that shared values and common cultural heritage are the foundational and guiding force between the neighbours.
Dissanayake said he had held “productive discussions” with India’s finance and foreign ministers, as well as national security adviser Ajit Doval. After meeting with the Indian Prime Minister, He vowed he would not let the country’s territory be used for anti-India activities.
New Delhi has stolen a march over its rivals, as in a telling move the Sri Lankan President had chosen India for his first official foreign visit. New Delhi is an important commercial partner for Colombo—Indian exports to Sri Lanka were $4.1 billion, compared to $1.4 billion in reverse—and is promoting infrastructure projects. India has also extended a line of credit and has helped Sri Lanka emerge from its financial turmoil, as Dissanayake thanked India and assured that his nation will not be used against India in any way.
