Generations of artistes who have preserved our cultural traditions and art forms had enabled the Kandy Esala Perahera to earn international acclaim as the country's greatest cultural festival, stated President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The President, addressing a ceremony held at President's House, Kandy to mark the conclusion of the Kandy Esala Maha Perahera further said, "It is our duty to protect these artistes and their art forms because it was then that we could ensure a cultural revival in the country."

The Kandy Esala Perahera held as an offering to the Sacred Tooth Relic and the deities had been a great blessing to the nation, the President said adding that the organizers have been able to conduct the Perahera in a more grandeur scale due to the atmosphere of peace prevailing in the country.

"We should all draw attention to the need to maintain this hard won peace and freedom," he said.

The President said monetary and other physical resources alone were insufficient to develop a country unless its leaders acted in an exemplary manner.

People's representatives and officials who administered the country should act in an exemplary manner so that people could be disciplined and led along the correct path, he said.

The President said he had fulfilled the pledge to steer the country along the path to development, given at the conclusion of the Esala Perahera last year.

He added that development restricted to a few urban areas had now been brought to the rural sector after identifying the development needs of each region in a proper manner.

He said development activities have also been launched in Kandy without damaging its sanctity. He said he had also handed back Kandy's Old Courts Complex to the Sri Dalada Maligawa and an international Buddhist museum was coming up there.

He added it was the duty of Basnayake Nilames to develop the land and properties belonging to their devalayas without alienating them to other parties.

Diyawadane Nilame of the Sri Dalada Maligawa Pradeep Nilanga Dela who earlier presented a Sannasa to the President reporting the successful completion of the Kandy Esala Perahera, said the President had made a great and meritorious offering to the Sri Dalada Maligawa surpassing even the offerings made by previous rulers by getting the Maha Maluwa and the surrounding road network rehabilitated with paved roads and path ways. He said steps would be taken to open the proposed international Buddhist museum before the end of this year.

Prime Minister D M Jayaratne, Ministers Keheliya Rambukwella, Pavithra Wanniarachchi and C B Ratnayake, Deputy Ministers M K D S Gunawardena, Nandimitra Ekanayake and Rohana Dissanayake, Acting Secretary to the President and Presidential Chief of Staff Gamini Senarath and Basnayake Nilames of the four main Devalayas and Pitisara Devalayas were also present.