The ‘Janaraja Perahara’ which was hosted by the Temple of the Tooth Relic in Kandy, at the request of President Ranil Wickremesinghe, paraded the streets of Kandy last night (19).
Tusker Kandula of the Kelani Rajamaha Vihara carried the emblem of ‘Janaraja Perahara’ while Dalada Kandula and Gemunu from Atthanagalla Rajamaha Vihara accompanied the tusker.
The event, which was held after a gap of 34 years, was organized to coincide with the 75th Independence Anniversary Celebrations and was attended by President Wickremesinghe and Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardhena.
The procession commenced at the Magul Maduwa premises and followed a route that included Dalada Veediya, Yatinuvara Veediya, Kanda Veediya, Raja Veediya, and ended at the temple.
The procession included cultural performances, such as dancing troops and caparisoned elephants, which added glitz and color to the event. A large crowd had gathered to watch the Janaraja Perahara procession.
The Janaraja Perahara was first organized in 1875 to celebrate the arrival of the Duke of Wales, the son of Queen Victoria, to Ceylon.
The procession was also held in 1954 when Queen Elizabeth II, the then-Head of State of Sri Lanka, visited the country. The Queen watched the Janaraja Perahara from the Patthirippuwa. In 1981, a similar procession was held, and Queen Elizabeth II watched the procession from a special platform built in the Maha Maluwa, the main courtyard.
The final Janaraja Perahara was held in 1987 for President J.R. Jayawardene.
A discussion had been on Energy sector cooperation & Investments today (24) with the visiting delegation from India led by Secretary of India’s Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas – Mr. Pankaj Jain, at the Ministry of Power and Energy in Colombo.
Taking to Twitter, Sri Lankan minister of Power and Energy said that several topics such as the development of Trincomalee as an energy hub, oil & gas exploration, renewable energy, LNG infrastructure development & supply and solar cooking burners were discussed.
The Indian delegation included the Officer on Special Duty, Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas – Ms. Esha Srivastav, IOC Chairman – Mr. S. M. Vaidya, Chairperson of Engineers India Limited – Ms. Vartika Shukla, MD of Petronet LNG Limited – Mr. A.K. Singh, MD of the ONGC Videsh Limited – Mr. Rajarshi Gupta, Director Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited – Mr. Amit Garg.
They were accompanied by the High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka – Mr. Gopal Baglay, the Deputy High Commissioner – Mr. Vinod. K. Jacob as well as officials of the Indian High Commision.
S. M. Vaidya, Chairman, IOC, Vartika Shukla, Chairperson, Engineers India Limited, A.K. Singh,MD, Petronet LNG Limited, Rajarshi Gupta,MD, ONGC Videsh Limited, Amit Garg, Director Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited & officials of the High Commision. pic.twitter.com/PWZm4PTaK9
Sri Lankan cricketer Dhananjaya de Silva has refuted claims that he refused to bat at No. 07 position in tomorrow’s ODI match against New Zealand.
Tweeting, he said: “The story circulating in social media saying that I have refused to bat at No. 07 during tomorrow’s game is false, and I wish to state that I am a player who always stands with the team”.
The story circulating in social media saying that I have refused to bat at No. 7 during tomorrow's game is false, and I wish to state that I am a player who always stands with the team.
In a letter to the Inspector General of Police, the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) has requested the police take necessary action to ensure the safety of the BASL President – Saliya Pieris.
The letter to the IGP relates to the protest that took place opposite the chamber of Saliya Pieris PC.
view the said protest seriously hinders his right to represent a client, a professional right which has been safeguarded by law,” the BASL said.
“Therefore, we strongly demand that you take action to ensure that Mr. Peiris’s professional duties as an Attorney-at-law, are not hindered and to ensure his safety,” the BASL added.