Cabinet nod to get Buddhist scripture Tripitaka proclaimed as a World Heritage

The Cabinet of Ministers has approved a proposal to request the United Nations to declare the Buddhist scripture Tripitaka as a World Heritage.

President Maithripala Sirisena submitted the relevant cabinet paper at the cabinet meeting held yesterday, and the President’s proposal to declare the Tripitaka of Theravada Buddhism a World Heritage has received the Cabinet approval, the President’s Media Division said. Accordingly, the proposal will be presented in Parliament and get it passed.

President Sirisena has stated at the cabinet meeting that he will mediate to make the Tripitaka a World Heritage.

The President officially proclaimed the sacred Tripitaka as a National Heritage on 5 January  at a State ceremony held at the national ceremony held at the historic Aluvihare Temple in Matale. In a related development a special discussion was held at the Presidential Secretariat headed by Presidential Secretary, Udaya R Seneviratne on the program to make the Tripitaka a world heritage. Diplomats from 14 embassies of Buddhist countries participated in the discussion, the Presidential Secretariat said.