Police have issued a guide to devotees attending the special exposition of the sacred Tooth Relic – the ‘Siri Dalada Vandanawa’ from tomorrow (April 18) onwards.
The event will take place from April 18th to April 27th. Tomorrow the exposition will be held from 3.30pm – 5.30pm. From April 19 – 27 it will be held from 12 noon – 5.30pm.
The event is expected to attract around 02 million devotees and a special security plan has been implemented with over 10,000 police personnel deployed. In addition, personnel from the Police Special Task Force, Police K9 Division, Sri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka Navy, and Sri Lanka Air Force have also been deployed.
Police have also announced parking locations where devotees can park their vehicles and use dedicated public transport to proceed to the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic.
Parking Locations:
Vehicles from Gampola and Colombo should stop at the Getambe Junction and can be parked at the Getambe Grounds and along the Gannoruwa Road.
Vehicles from the Kurunegala-Katugastota Road should stop at the 4th mile post.
Vehicles from the Madawala Road should stop at the Polgolla Mahinda Rajapaksa Theatre premises.
Vehicles from Matale should stop at the Ra-Kade Junction, with parking available at Dharmasoka Mawatha, while light vehicles can park at the P. T. Ranjan Grounds.
Vehicles from Mahiyanganaya using the 18 Bend Road should park at the Pallekele Bandaranaike School Grounds.
Vehicles from Badulla should park in Gurudeniya.
Private vehicles will not be allowed to park in Kandy City.
Car parking will also be available at:
Car Park next to the Vevalpitiya Grounds (Light Vehicles)
Sahas Uyana Car Park (Light Vehicles)
Getambe Mahanama Ground (Light Vehicles)
Opposite Mahaiyyawa Cemetery (Buses)
Dharmashoka Bend to Japan-Kade Junction (Buses)
KMC Car Park (Light Vehicles)
Rajapihilla Bus Parking (Buses)
Karaliya Car Park (Light Vehicles)
Bogambara Prison (Buses)
Bogambara Grounds (Buses)
Thennekumbura Junction to Haragama Road (Buses)
SWRD Bandaranaike Mawatha (Buses)
Police have stated that long-distance buses operating via Kandy, as well as bus services originating from Kandy, will operate as usual. These buses will be permitted to stop at the Raja Pihilla Bus Stand and opposite the Bogambara Grounds. However, short-distance buses will not be permitted to stop and park within Kandy City.
Alternative routes
Police have introduced alternative routes for vehicles passing through Kandy during the aforementioned period.
Vehicles from Kurunegala and Matale heading to Colombo and Nuwara Eliya via Kandy can proceed to the Gohagoda Road from the Katugastota Bridge, head to Peradeniya, and then proceed to Colombo and Kandy.
Vehicles from the Colombo-Kandy Road and from Nuwara Eliya heading towards Kurunegala, Matale, and Mahiyanganaya can use the Peradeniya-Gohagoda Road.
Vehicles heading to Badulla can enter Dharmashoka Mawatha from the Mahaiyyawa Tunnel and proceed to Thennekumbura.
The Cabinet has approved a revision of tariffs for newly contracted solar energy systems in Sri Lanka, effective from June 16, 2025.
According to a letter issued by the Ministry of Energy dated June 20, the updated rates are as follows:
Rs. 20.90 per unit for systems up to 5 kilowatts (kW)
Rs. 19.61 per unit for systems between 5 kW and 20 kW
Rs. 17.46 per unit for systems between 20 kW and 100 kW
These revised rates will apply to all applicants who pay the system clearance fees on or after June 16, 2025. The new tariffs will also be valid for extension requests submitted on or after that date.
(dailynews.lk)
(Except for the headline, this story, originally published by dailynews.lk has not been edited by SLM staff)
The Sri Lanka Army has dismissed recent social media claims suggesting a group of officers is being fraudulently removed using forged documents.
In a statement, the Army said the allegations are completely false stating that such assertions stem from a fundamental lack of understanding regarding military administrative protocols.
The allegations are aimed at damaging the institution’s reputation in the eyes of the public.
While confirming that no removals have taken place without proper procedures or the approval of the President, the statement asserts that the Army is committed to transparency while safeguarding national security.
Three hundred students from the Northern Province who excelled in all subject streams of the 2023 G.C.E. Advanced Level (A/L) Examination will each receive a grant of Rs. 100,000 from the President’s Fund.
As part of a newly launched initiative to honour high-performing students at the district level for the 2023/2024 G.C.E. A/L Examination, the President’s Fund hosted an award ceremony this morning (22) at the Iranamadu Nelum Piyasa Auditorium in the Northern Province.
During the event, 300 students from the districts of Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Mannar and Vavuniya, specifically 60 students per district, with the top 10 students from each subject stream, were recognised and presented with financial awards for their outstanding academic performance. The President’s Fund has allocated a total of Rs. 30 million for this initiative, which is expected to be extended to all districts in the future.
Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the President, addressed the gathering and noted that following the formation of the new government, the President’s Fund has been restructured and expanded under the leadership of President Anura Kumara Disanayaka. He emphasised that the Fund now operates with increased transparency, correcting past irregularities to ensure benefits are directed to the truly deserving. Dr. Kumanayake also mentioned ongoing efforts to digitise the Fund and decentralise its services to improve accessibility and efficiency.
He further highlighted that education is the key to a successful life and urged the students to take full advantage of the support provided, pursue academic excellence, become responsible citizens and contribute positively to the country’s development. Also addressing the event were Speaker (Dr.) Jagath Wickramaratne and Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources, Ramalingam Chandrasekar.
A vote of thanks was delivered by Abhishek, a student from Jaffna Hindu College, who expressed heartfelt appreciation to the President and the President’s Fund. He described the programme as a valuable opportunity for students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds to pursue higher education and achieve their goals.
In attendance at the ceremony were Northern Province Governor Nagalingam Vethanayahan, Deputy Minister of Cooperative Development Upali Samarasinghe, Members of Parliament K. Ilankumaran, Rajeevan Jeyachandramoorthy and M. Jagadeeswaran, along with other public representatives. Also present were Mr. Roshan Gamage, Senior Additional Secretary to the President and Secretary of the President’s Fund, senior officials from the Fund, government officers, heads of security forces, parents and students.