Lankan President visits Indian Buddhist heritage exhibition
Posted on May 4th, 2023
Courtesy NewsIn.Asia
Colombo, May 4: The High Commission of India in Sri Lanka is holding a special exhibition of India’s rich Buddhist heritage as part of the Buddha Rashmi National Vesak Festival at Seemamalakaya, Gangaramaya Temple in Colombo.
The exhibition shows the digital recreations of the Ajanta cave paintings marks the Buddhist festival of Vesak. It is open for public viewing from 5-7 May .
The President of Sri Lanka, Ranil Wickremesinghe, accompanied by High Commissioner Gopal Baglay, senior Ministers and other dignitaries visited the exhibition at the soft opening of the Vesak Festival, jointly organized by the President’s Secretariat, the Prime Minister’s Office and the Gangaramaya Temple on 3 May.
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The exhibition, which commemorates the birth, enlightenment and Mahaparinirvana of The Buddha on the Vesak Full Moon Poya Day, underlines the civilizational connect between India and Sri Lanka.
The exhibition displays digital recreations of the fresco paintings from the world-famous UNESCO Heritage Site the Ajanta caves of India, depicting significant episodes from Lord Buddha’s life and the Jataka tales.
The Ajanta Caves are Buddhist cave monuments in Maharashtra, in India, dating back to 2nd and 1st centuries B.C.
The Exhibition is yet another testimony to India’s untiring efforts to preserve and restore the Buddhist heritage in India and across the world.
The Curators of the exhibition Ankur Naik and Prasad Pawar gifted a replica of the digitally restored Padma of the renowned ‘Padmapani’ on an original basalt stone to President Ranil Wickremesinghe, in what is a vivid example of the impressive restoration work which is being carried out in the Ajanta caves.
The exhibition was displayed at the first Global Buddhist Summit held in New Delhi in India from 20-21 April 2023. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had viewed this Exhibition at the Summit.