Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, who is currently on a State visit to Sri Lanka, together with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, paid homage to the sacred Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi in Anuradhapura this morning (06) and received blessings.
Following the visit to the revered site, Prime Minister Modi proceeded to the Udamaluwa area, where he engaged in a cordial discussion with the Chief Incumbent of the Great Eight Sacred Shrines (Atamasthanadhipathi) and Chief Sanghanayake of Nuwarakalaviya, Most Venerable Dr. Pallegama Hemarathana Nayaka Thera.
During the meeting, Prime Minister Modi shared that sacred relics of the Buddha had been unearthed in his home state of Gujarat during archaeological excavations in the 1960s. He expressed his willingness to discuss with President Dissanayake the possibility of exhibiting these revered relics in Sri Lanka.
In response to a request by the Atamasthanadhipathi to develop Bodh Gaya as a spiritual city, Prime Minister Modi pledged to take necessary steps following discussions with President Dissanayake and work toward making this vision a reality.
The Prime Minister’s visit further underscores the enduring message of “Friendship of Centuries, Commitment to a Prosperous Future,” highlighting the profound cultural and spiritual bonds between India and Sri Lanka.
The Maha Sangha, led by the Atamasthanadhipathi, chanted Seth Pirith and invoked blessings upon the Indian Prime Minister during the visit.
Prime Minister Modi also signed the special guest book at the sacred site, leaving a commemorative note. Additionally, he formally inaugurated the newly constructed Makara Thorana within the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi premises.
The event was attended by the Chief Incumbent of the Ruwanweli Maha Seya Temple, Ven. Ethalawetunawewe Gnanathilaka Thera, other Atamasthana Viharadhipathi Theras, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Vijitha Herath, Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development Wasantha Samarasinghe, Minister of Health and Mass Media Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa, North Central Province Governor Wasantha Jinadasa, Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka H.E. Santosh Jha, and several other dignitaries.
𝐉𝐚𝐲𝐚 𝐒𝐫𝐢 𝐌𝐚𝐡𝐚 𝐁𝐨𝐝𝐡𝐢 𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐫𝐢 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐚
— All India Radio News (@airnewsalerts) July 18, 2025
For over two millennia, a sacred duty has been passed down through generations — the care of the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi in Sri Lanka.
Earlier this year, PM @narendramodi visited the revered site at Anuradhapura, where the… pic.twitter.com/P219uD5BFa
