In a visit to Rajaguru Sri Subuthi Viharaya on 21 November, 2020, High Commissioner HE Gopal Baglay sought blessings of the Chief Incumbent Most Ven. Sri Mahindawansa Mahanayake Thero for the peace and prosperity of the people of Sri Lanka and India.High Commissioner prayed at the Waskaduwa Rajguru Sri Subuthi Viharaya which houses Lord Buddha’s relics from Piprahwa, India. High Commissioner paid tribute to the memory of Most Venerable Rajaguru Waskaduwe Sri Subhuthi Nayaka Thero who brought to Sri Lanka the venerated Piprahwa relics of Lord Buddha, discovered in late 19th century in India.
High Commissioner and Venerable Mahindawansa Thera discussed the ancient bilateral Buddhist ties between India and Sri Lanka and the ways to further strengthen the cooperation between the two countries. High Commissioner noted that the USD 15 million grant announced by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to protect and promote the Buddhist heritage ties between India and Sri Lanka will be utilised for other such bilateral exhibition of Lord Buddha’s relics as well as to develop Viharayas, education of young monks and development of Buddhist heritage museums.
The other venerated relics of Lord Buddha from Kapilawasthu discovered in 1970 in India have only been exhibited six times out of India, including twice in Sri Lanka. The first time was in 1978 when they were brought to Sri Lanka and drew crowds of nearly 10 million people. In 2012, at the request of the then Sri Lankan President, Mahinda Rajapaska, the relics once again travelled from India to Sri Lanka to commemorate the 2600th anniversary of the Enlightenment of the Buddha. The venerated relics from the Waskaduwe Vihara have also been exhibited in India in October 2015 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Dr Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian Constitution, embracing Buddhism along with 500,00 followers, where over 8 million people came to see the relics and paid homage.