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Thousands of devotees stood in queue for long hours to offer worship to the Kapilavastu relics at the Manelwatta Viharaya, Kelaniya on Sunday. Sacred relics will be on public display at Manelwatta Viharaya for three days.
Earlier, President Mahinda Rajapaksa received the relics at a ceremony at the Bandaranaike International airport on Sunday. They were brought in a special Indian Air Force aircraft by a delegation from India led by Minister of Culture Kumari Selja. Ms. Selja handed them over to President Rajapaksa.
The first exposition of the sacred Relics of Kapilavastu outside India was in Sri Lanka in 1978. Subsequent expositions of the Relics took place in Mongolia in August 1993.
During the landmark State Visit of President Mahinda Rajapaksa to India in June 2010, it was decided that the 2600th Sambuddhatva Jayanthi will be commemorated by India and Sri Lanka through joint activities. Following this agreement, President Rajapaksa requested the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, to afford Sri Lankan Buddhists an opportunity to pay homage to the sacred Kapilavastu Relics by allowing the Relics to be taken to Sri Lanka as a part of the commemoration of the 2600th year of the Sambuddhatva Jayanthi.
The relics will be displayed at seven places from August 19 to September 4.
The schedule of the exposition of the Sacred Kapilavastu Relics in Sri Lanka is as follows:
| Dates |
Province |
Venue of Exposition |
| 19, 20 &21 August 2012 |
Western |
Kapilawasthu Hall, Manel Watta Maha
Viharaya, Kelaniya |
| 22 & 23 August 2012 |
Sabaragamuwa |
Rajamaha Viharaya, Pelmadulla |
| 24, 25 & 26 August 2012 |
North Central |
Jayanthi Viharaya, Anuradhapura |
| 27 & 28 August 2012 |
Eastern |
Agrabodhi Viharaya, Kantale |
| 29 & 30 August 2012 |
Central |
Naranvita Temple, Gampola |
| 31 August & 1 September 2012 |
North Western |
Sri Sumangala Pirivena, Wariyapola |
| 2, 3 & 4 September 2012 |
Southern |
Matara Bodhiya, Matara |
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