Ambassador of Sri Lanka pays homage to the Sapling of the Sacred Sri Maha Bodhi tree gifted to Thailand

Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Thailand and the Permanent Representative to UNESCAP Wijayanthi Edirisinghe visited the Wat Vajirathammaram in Ayutthaya recently and attended a ceremony to pay obeisance to the sacred Bo Sapling of the Sri Maha Bodhi tree of Sri Lanka. The event was organized by the Sri Lanka Association of Thailand. The sacred Bo Sapling was gifted to Thailand in 2019 to transfer merits to the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej and also bestow blessings upon King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun, for peace and prosperity during his reign and also on the people of Thailand.

Chief Abbot of Wat Vajirathammaram welcomed the Ambassador, and Ven. Dr. Wilgamuwe Ariyarathana Thero conducted a bodhi pooja under the sacred Bo Sapling. President of the Sri Lanka Association of Thailand Sanjeewa Ediriwickramasooriya, members of the Association staff of the Embassy, and members of the Sri Lankan community in Thailand attended the ceremony.

After paying veneration to the Bodhi tree, a Dana prepared by the Embassy and the Sri Lankan community was offered to the Buddhist monks.

The Ambassador also had a discussion with the Chief Abbot of Wat Vajirathammaram and Ven. Dr. Wilgamuwe Ariyarathana Thero on proper maintenance of the Bo sapling and development plans in the area around the sacred Bo tree.

Subsequently, the Ambassador and the staff paid homage to the Wat Dhammaram Temple in Ayutthaya, the historical location from where the mission of bringing back the higher ordination to Sri Lanka by Ven. Siam Upali Thero commenced. 

During the discussion with the Chief Abbot, Ambassador Edirisinghe remarked that the relationship between Sri Lanka and Thailand, with its deep roots in the shared values and philosophies delivered by the Buddha, has been flourishing robustly over centuries.