Modi prays at one of Sri Lanka's oldest Buddhist Gangaramaya temple

Colombo, May 11: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday visited one of Sri Lanka's oldest Buddhist Seema Malaka temple here and took part in the traditional lamp-lighting ceremony.

Modi, accompanied by Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, prayed and offered flowers at the temple, which is a part of the more-than-120-year-old Gangaramaya Temple. Modi entered the holy sanctum of the temple and lit lamps - a traditional practice - on the eve of the International Vesak Day celebrations, the biggest festival of Buddhists. The Gangaramaya Temple is situated in the bustling inner-city Colombo, nearby the scenic Beira Lake.

The temple complex is a popular tourist attraction, a place of worship and a learning and vocational training centre. The temple's architecture demonstrates an eclectic mix of Sri Lankan, Thai, Indian, and Chinese architecture. It is involved in Buddhist welfare work including old peoples' homes, a vocational school and an orphanage. The temple is uniquely attractive and tolerant to congregation members of many different religions.

Earlier on Tursday, Modi was received at the Colombo International Airport by Wickremesinghe and several senior ministers, including Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera.

On reaching Colombo, Modi tweeted, "I am happy to be in Sri Lanka, where I will join the International Vesak Day Celebrations." On his second visit to Sri Lanka in two years, Modi is here primarily to participate in the Vesak Day celebrations tomorrow.

Before leaving for Colombo, he wrote in a Facebook post that it was an honour for him to join these celebrations with Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Wickremesinghe.

PTI