High Commission of Sri Lanka in India

Sri Lanka High Commission commenced work in the New Year 2019 with an Oath Taking Ceremony on 1st January 2019 at the High Commission premises.  The Official ceremony included the hoisting of the national flag and the singing of the national anthem by the staff which were followed by the observance of a two minute silence in remembrance of the war heroes and those who sacrificed their lives on behalf of the motherland.  High Commissioner Austin Fernando read the Oath for the public servants together with the staff of the High Commission.

Addressing the staff the High Commissioner sought team work and commitment of the staff, furthering India Sri Lanka relations.

The High Commissioner and the staff took part in the religious observances held at the New Delhi Centre of the Mahabodhi Society of India in the evening.      

by Austin Fernando
High Commissioner of Sri Lanka in India

I was fortunate to be invited by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), India to visit Prayagraj for a day trip to observe the arrangements made for Kumbh Mela, by the Prayagraj Mela Authority, which functions under the State Government of Uttar Pradesh. Being a Buddhist, to integrate my thinking in the lines of believers of Hinduism was not difficult, though I was not previously exposed to this experience in Prayagraj.

Anyway, I was happy to be in Prayagraj within 45 days of arrival in India as High Commissioner of Sri Lanka. Many thanks are due to the MEA and its dynamic State Minister V K Singh, who has initiated a Diplomats’ Visit, on the instructions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

As I understand, Kumbh Mela- also called  Kumbha Mela, is a religious festival celebrated four times over the course of 12 years. The site of the observance rotates between four places on four sacred rivers—at Haridwar on the Ganges River, at Ujjain on the Shipra, at Nashik on the Godhavari, and at Prayag (modern Allahabad) at the confluence of the Ganges, the Jamuna, and the mythical river Sarasvati.

My inquiries on Kumbh Mela for the chronology revealed that it is referred to in the Rigveda, Shrimad Bhagavat, and various Puranas and in epics like the Ramayana, the Mahabhaaratha. Recorded history states that it has been in vogue from the Guptha Period. Chinese traveller and scholar Hsuan Tsang has in the 7th century has also described the congregation at Kumbha and the rituals of Sadhus.

Sri Lanka dance team enthralled the audience with traditional folk dance at the opening ceremony of the 12th Delhi International Arts Festival (DIAF) at the Craft Museum, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. DIAF was held from 6 - 9 Dec 2018. Team also performed at the Triveni Kala Sangam on 02 December 2018 and 4th December at the Puarana Quila in New Delhi.

On the 21st of December 2018, ten students from St. Mark’s Senior Secondary School, Meera Bagh, New Delhi, visited the Sri Lanka High Commission in New Delhi, prior to the commencement of their student exchange programme in Sri Lanka which is being funded by the India-Sri Lanka Foundation, New Delhi Secretariat, under its Student Exchange Programme. 

The team, led by Geeta Rajan, Head of International Affairs of the school, and two teachers  Saranpreet Kaur and Naveen Gupta, met with Austin Fernando, High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to India and the Co-Chairperson of the India-Sri Lanka Foundation, who briefed the students on the history, culture and the lifestyle of the people of Sri Lanka.

He expressed in his briefing that these visits by schools from both countries would greatly contribute to enhancing people to people relations and strengthen social interactions among the younger generation of the two countries. Furthermore, the students were provided with information on Sri Lanka through a video presentation and interaction with other officials in the Mission.