High Commission of Sri Lanka in India

The formation of the India-Sri Lanka Parliamentary Friendship Group in the 15^th Lok Sabha has been announced. The announcement coincides with the bilateral visit to India by the Speaker of the Sri Lankan Parliament, Hon. Chamal Rajapaksa, with a group of Parliamentarians comprising Ministers Dinesh Gunawardena, W.D.J. Senewiratne and Risad Badhiutheen and MPs Muthu Sivalingam, Rajiva Wijesinha, Malani Fonseka, Selvam Adaikkalanathan and D.M. Swaminandan.

The India-Sri Lanka Parliamentary Friendship Group in the Indian Parliament comprises Members from both Houses, the Lok Sabha (the House of the People) and the Rajya Sabha (the Council of States) representing a cross-section of political parties. Following established practice in the Indian Parliament, the group comprises exclusively of Members of Parliament who do not hold cabinet portfolios.

Shri Kumar Deepak Das, a Rajya Sabha MP representing the Asom Gono Parishad, serves as the President of the 22 member Group. The Group comprises MPs from the Indian National Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party, Biju Janata Dal, Bahujan Samaj Party, Janata Dal (United), Communist Party of India (Marxist), Telugu Desam Party, All India Democratic United Front, Bahujan Vikas Aaghadi, Shiromani Akali Dal, All India Trinamool Congress as well as one Independent MP.

The Members of the Group are scheduled to meet the Speaker of the Sri Lankan Parliament and delegation on 2 August in the Parliament House of India. High Commissioner Prasad Kariyawasam will host a Reception at the Sri Lanka High Commission to celebrate the formation of the Group and to welcome Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa and the delegation. Several Members of the Indian Parliament, especially from Tamil Nadu, and local and international media personnel will attend the Reception.

The formation of this Group in the Indian Parliament is an important step in forging stronger ties between the Indian Parliamentarians and their Sri Lankan counterparts. This will provide an opportunity for greater interaction between the Parliamentarians of the two countries and for visits leading to better understanding and appreciation of prospects, challenges and opportunities for exploring solutions to common problems.

High Commissioner for Sri Lanka to India, H.E. Prasad Kariyawsam, called on the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu the Hon. J. Jayalalithaa, at the Office of the Chief Minister in Chennai on 21 July 2011. The High Commissioner was accompanied by the Deputy High Commissioner of Sri Lanka in Chennai, V. Krishnamoorthy. The Chief Secretary of Tamil Nadu Debendranath Sarangi and other senior officials were also present at the meeting. 

The Ministry of External Affairs and Bandaranaike Center for International Studies (BCIS) of Sri Lanka celebrated the 50th Anniversary Non-Aligned Movement held in Colombo at the BCIS auditorium on 21st of July 2011.

A special Commemorative Stamp and First Day Cover was issued to mark this special occasion with the presence of President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the Temple Trees, Colombo.

The commemorative event under the theme “NAM – Half a Century of Achievement: Our Common Vision for the future” began with welcome speech by External Affairs Minister, Prof. G. L. Peiris with the presence of Prime Minister D. M. Jayaratne as the Chief Guest. A host of distinguished guests including parliamentarians, members of the diplomatic corps, academics, media were presented in this event.

The programme also featured screening of a documentary film on “Celebrating 50 years of the NAM”, a keynote addressed by Mr. Nihal Rodrigo former Foreign Secretary and former SAARC Secretary General under the theme “Sri Lanka and 50 years of the NAM: Change & Continuity, as well as a mini exhibition of photographs illustrating Sri Lanka’s contribution to the NAM.

Those who wish to obtain the Commemorative Stamp and First Day Cover, may contact Director, Postal Bureau, Postal Headquarters Colombo 01000. Tel: 011 4927248, 011 2326163, 011 2328301.

The glittering Esala Perahera of Sridalada Maligawa (Temple of the Sacred Buddha tooth relic) in Kandy will be held from July 31 to August 14, 2011. The Perahera, which is 235 years old, is one of the grandest events we have in Sri Lanka. Many locals and foreigners look forward to witness this wonderful festival every year. This is held during the Esala month, in August, honouring the sacred tooth relic. Many foreigners who have been fascinated by the Perahera have written notes about it; among them is the famous British poet and novelist, D. H. Lawrence, who describes the Perahera as a “perpetual fire-laughing motion among the slow shuffle of elephants.”

Fa-Hien, one of the famous Chinese monks who arrived in Sri Lanka on a pilgrimage in the fifth century A.D. also gives a full description about the Perahera in his book, Fa-Hien Travel Records. “By the side of the King’s Palace is the Vihara of the Buddha’s Tooth, several hundred feet high, brilliant with jewellers and ornamented with rare gems. Above the Vihara is placed an upright pole on which is fixed a great Padmaraja (ruby).

The Perahera comprises whip crackers, who lead the way heralding the approach of the perahera, flag bearers who carry the standards of the different Provinces and Temples, the Peramunarala, who rides the first elephant carrying an ola manuscript called the Lekam Mitiya (a register of the Maligawa lands), the drummers playing Hewisi (martial music) on a variety of drums such as the Daula, Tammettama, Udakkiya and Bere, and playing Horanewas (flutes), the Gajanayaka Nilame (traditionally the Head of the Royal Elephant Stables) gripping a silver henduwa (ankus, elephant goad), followed by the Kariyakorale (master of ceremonies, second in the hierarchy of temple officials), attended by minor temple functionaries, drummers and dancers.

Next treading majestically and solemnly is the Maligawa Tusker, carrying a duplicate of the Perahera Karanduwa (golden casket) containing the sacred relic, followed by two lines of dancers facing each other with drummers in the middle, and finally the Diyawadana Nilame (Custodian of the Tooth) in oriental splendour attended by lance bearers, sunshade bearers and parasol bearers as well as temple headmen.

This time the Kandy Esala Perahera will be held in a grand style and will be a testament that Sri Lanka is ready for tourism after the peace!

Dates of the Kandy Esala Perahera 2011:
From 31st July 2011 to 14th August 2011