Over a million devotees venerated sacred Devnimori relics in Sri Lanka

The Exposition of the Holy Devnimori Relics of Lord Buddha, which were brought to Sri Lanka on February 04, concluded successfully at the Gangaramaya Temple in Colombo, with the sacred relics departing for India today (11).

According to a statement issued by the High Commission of India in Colombo, the Holy Relics were accompanied on their return journey by Shri Mangubhai C. Patel, Governor of Madhya Pradesh, and Shri Chowna Mein, Deputy Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh.

A ceremonial departure was held at Bandaranaike International Airport, where Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs Dr. Hiniduma Sunil Senevi, Deputy Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs Gamagedara Dissanayake, and the High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha were present to bid farewell to the Holy Relics.

During the visit, the Indian delegation led by the Governor of Madhya Pradesh and the Deputy Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh held meetings with Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Vijitha Herath, Deputy Minister of Environment Anton Jayakody, and Governor of the North Western Province Tissa Kumarasiri Warnasuriya. The dignitaries also interacted with members of the Indian-origin community in Sri Lanka.

The Exposition was inaugurated on February 04 at the Gangaramaya Temple in Colombo by President of Sri Lanka Anura Kumara Dissanayaka, representing Sri Lanka, alongside Governor of Gujarat Shri Acharya Devvrat and Deputy Chief Minister of Gujarat Shri Harsh Sanghavi, representing India. The inauguration took place in the presence of the Chief Incumbent of Gangaramaya Temple, Ven. Dr. Kirinde Assaji Thero.

The week-long Exposition attracted more than one million devotees who gathered to pay their respects, the statement said. 

Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, several Cabinet Ministers, the Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition, former Presidents, and numerous Members of Parliament also visited the temple during the Exposition to venerate the Holy Relics, the statement said.

Significantly, the event marked the first occasion on which these Holy Relics were publicly displayed for veneration outside of India. Complementing the Exposition, two exhibitions titled “Unearthing the Sacred Piprahwa” and “Sacred Relic and Cultural Engagement of Contemporary India” were also held, highlighting the shared Buddhist heritage of India and Sri Lanka.

The Exposition had been announced by Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi during his State Visit to Sri Lanka in April 2025. The successful event further strengthened the spiritual and cultural ties between the two civilizational partners.

India reaffirmed its commitment to deepening bilateral linkages through continued initiatives and regular exchanges between the monastic and scholarly communities of both countries.