Thailand to donate golden casket

to Dalada Maligawa
Lakehouse, September 9, 2001

Kandy -- Twenty-Member delegation of Thai Buddhist priests will bring to Sri Lanka the especially made golden casket (Karanduwa) donated to the Dalada Maligawa Kandy by the Thai Government and Buddhist people of that country on the 19th of this month.

This valuable offering is to be made to the Dalada Maligawa to commemorate the 250th Anniversary of reconstituting of the Sangha Sasana in Sri Lanka by performing Upasampada (Higher Ordination) at the Malwatte Maha Vihara by Thai Buddhist Priests led by Upali Maha Thera during the time of King Kirthi Sri Rajasinghe.

When the delegation arrives at Katunayake Bandaranaike International Airport bringing the casket, they will be received by the Prime Minister and Minister of Buddha Sasana, Ratnasiri Wickramanayake, Deputy Minister Ediriweera Premaratne and Diyawadana Nilame Neranjan Wijeyeratne and other Buddhist religious dignitaries.

The Thai Buddhist delegation carrying the Karanduwa will arrive in Kandy on September 20th, and on their way to Kandy from Colombo they will be accorded receptions at Nittambuwa at 3.00 pm and at Kegalle at 5.00 p.m. They will arrive in Kandy at 6.30 p.m. when they would be received by authorities and religious dignitaries and conducted to the Dalada Maligawa.

On September 21st at 9.45 a.m., The Karanduwa will be received officially by Most Vens. Rambukwelle Sri Vipassi and Udugama Sri Rathanapala Buddharakkhitha Mahanayake Theras of the Malwatte and Asgiriya Chapters respectively and Diyawadana Nilame Neranjan Wijeyaratne at the Maligawa. At 2.00 p.m. on the same day the Sacred Tooth Relic will be placed in the new Thai Karanduwa and be exposed to Thai delegation in a special exposition.

Thereafter the Sacred Tooth Relic will be exhibited to the general public from September 22nd to October 7th daily from 1.00 p.m. to 5.00 p.m. A meeting presided over by the Kandy District Secretary, Sumana Bandara Baddewela, was held recently to discuss the organisation of the receiving of the casket from Thai delegation and the exposition of the Sacred Tooth Relic.

The exposition of the Sacred Tooth Relic will take place after 7 years.