High Commission of Sri Lanka in India

The historic exhibition which features the works of Sri Lanka’s iconic architect the late Geoffrey Bawa, is jointly organized by the National Gallery of Modern Art in New Delhi, the High Commission of Sri Lanka in New Delhi and the Geoffrey Bawa Trust to mark the 75th anniversary of Indo-Lanka diplomatic relations, which falls this year. 

A large number of invitees including diplomats, senior officials of the Government of India, academics, journalists, art lovers and professionals attended the ceremonial opening of the exhibition. Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to India Milinda Moragoda, Director of the National Gallery of Modern Art Temsunaro Tripati, and Trustee of the Geoffrey Bawa Trust Sanjay Kulatunga joined External Affairs Minister Jaishankar in inaugurating the exhibition. 

“Geoffrey Bawa: It is Essential To be There”, the first major exhibition that draws from the archives to look at the Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa’s practice, is the first retrospective exhibition of Bawa’s works to be shown internationally since 2004. Earlier, his work had been exhibited at multiple venues in Sri Lanka, the United Kingdom, North America, Australia, India, Brazil, Singapore, and Germany. 

Over 120 documents from the Bawa archives are on view in the exhibition, including a section on unbuilt work and Bawa’s own photographs from his travels. It explores relationships between ideas, drawings, buildings and places, and the different ways in which images were used in Bawa’s practice.

“Geoffrey Bawa: It is Essential To be There”, which has been organized under the Sri Lanka-India Cultural Exchange Programme, will be on display until 07 May 2023. 

Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to India Milinda Moragoda who was on an official visit to Madhya Pradesh recently, visited and paid obeisance at the Great Buddhist Stupa in Sanchi. 

An important Buddhist centre in ancient India, Sanchi is believed to be the place from which Buddhism was sent to Sri Lanka. It is also believed that both Arahant Mahinda and Theri Sangamitta, immediately prior to their journeys to Sri Lanka, had stayed in Sanchi. 

High Commissioner Moragoda also visited and paid homage at the Chetiyagiri Vihara of the Mahabodhi Society of Sri Lanka, which is located in close proximity to the Great Stupa. He was warmly welcomed by the resident monks of the Vihara, Ven. Banagala Vimalatissa Thero and Ven. Udugama Thapassi Thero.

Given the significance of Sanchi in the advent of Buddhism in Sri Lanka which is the pinnacle of relations between India and Sri Lanka, High Commissioner Moragoda discussed with the resident monks on possible initiatives that could be undertaken in Sanchi to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Indo-Lanka diplomatic relations falling this year. 

High Commissioner Moragoda also discussed with the resident Sri Lankan monks on the ways and means to further promote Sanchi among Sri Lankan Buddhist pilgrims to India, and how to facilitate their passage to Sanchi, especially by train. The resident monks brought to the attention of the High Commissioner that long distance express trains arriving from major cities in India are not stopping at Sanchi, making it inconvenient for the pilgrims to visit. The High Commissioner undertook to take this issue up with the Union Ministry of Railways with a view to finding a solution to it.

The Great Stupa at Sanchi is one of the oldest structures in India, and an important monument of Indian architecture. The Stupa had been commissioned by emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BCE, and the original construction work is believed to have been overseen by the emperor himself. 

Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to India Milinda Moragoda who is on an official visit to the State of  Madhya Pradesh met with the Governor of Madhya Pradesh Shri Mangubhai C. Patel today (10) in Bhopal. The meeting was held at the Raj Bhavan, the official residence of the Governor.

Governor Patel extended a warm welcome to High Commissioner Moragoda. The discussion that followed encompassed a range of issues pertaining to Indo-Lanka relations, in particular the ways and means to enhance cooperation between Sri Lanka and the State of Madhya Pradesh. 

High Commissioner Moragoda briefed the Governor of Madhya Pradesh on the current developments in Sri Lanka including the country’s debt restructuring process and the IMF programme. The High Commissioner highlighted the key role that tourist arrivals from India, including from Madhya Pradesh, could play in the economic revival in Sri Lanka, tourism being a main pillar of economic recovery along with investments from India. They also discussed how to further promote Sanchi as a destination for Buddhist pilgrims from Sri Lanka.

High Commissioner Moragoda’s official visit to Madhya Pradesh comes as part of his continuing efforts to reach out to the states of India with a view to expanding Sri Lanka’s footprint at state level and promoting greater interactions between Sri Lanka and the states of the Indian Union.

During his visit to Madhya Pradesh, High Commissioner Moragoda delivered a lecture at the Army War College in Mhow on the topic “Trajectory of India-Sri Lanka relations; 2030” and also visited the Buddhist stupa in Sanchi.

Minister Goyal also holds the Ministerial portfolios of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution as well as Textiles. He is the Leader of the House of the Rajya Sabha, the upper House of the Indian Parliament. 

During the discussion between Minister Goyal and High Commissioner Moragoda, which was held in a very cordial manner, a wide range of issues pertaining to the areas of bilateral trade and commerce, particularly aiming at the economic recovery in Sri Lanka, was discussed. 

High Commissioner Moragoda thanked India for the unprecedented support that it has extended to Sri Lanka to mitigate the negative impact of the economic crisis. Recalling India’s timely issuance of financial assurances to the IMF, the first creditor to do so, High Commissioner Moragoda emphasized the key role that India could play in the recovery phase of the Sri Lankan economy. 

Mechanisms relating to the expansion of bilateral trade, the ways to establish and promote rupee trade between Sri Lanka and India as a means of economic recovery in Sri Lanka, and the possibility of further bilateral integration in the textiles and garment sector were among the key issues discussed between the Indian Commerce Minister and the Sri Lankan High Commissioner. 

A Chartered Accountant by profession, Shri Piyush Goyal has also held the Ministerial portfolios of Railways, Finance, Corporate Affairs, Coal, Power, New & Renewable Energy and Mines, previously.