Wednesday, 18 February 2015 00:12
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President Maithripala Sirisena yesterday visited one of the holiest Buddhist sites in India, where Lord Buddha is believed to have attained enlightenment.
He offered prayers to the idol of Lord Buddha at Mahabodhi Temple in the holy town of Bodh Gaya in eastern Bihar state.
The Sri Lankan President also prayed under the Bodhi tree, a sacred fig near the Mahabodhi Temple which is said to be a descendent of the one the Buddha sat under for three days and nights during the sixth century BC, before finding enlightenment. This is Sirisena’s first visit abroad after he assumed office last month by defeating his predecessor Mahinda Rajapaksa in a hotly-contested election.
Sirisena, who is in India for a four-day visit, signed a nuclear energy agreement with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday. This deal is India’s first breakthrough with the new Government of the tiny Indian Ocean island where China has been building ports and highways in a diplomatic push in recent years.
Under the deal India will help Sri Lanka build its nuclear energy infrastructure, including training of personnel, the Indian foreign ministry said.
