Former Sri Lankan President Wickremesinghe visits Lumbini

Rupandehi, December 28 — Former Sri Lankan President and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe visited Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha, on Saturday. He visited key sites including the Peace Pagoda, Maya Devi Temple, Puskarini Pond, and Ashok Pillar.

Wickremesinghe was welcomed by Khagendra Kafle, security chief of the Lumbini Development Trust, along with Information Officer Rajan Basnet, Information Branch’s Dilip Singh Rai and Bikash Lama.

During his visit, Wickremesinghe offered prayers and conducted a religious ceremony at the Maya Devi Temple. He expressed happiness at visiting the holy birthplace of Buddha and showed interest in the current state of Lumbini.

As Sri Lanka is a Buddhist-majority country, the former president took a keen interest in the site, as shared by the Trust’s Information Officer, Rajan Basnet.

On this occasion, the Trust presented a token of appreciation to the former president. Wickremesinghe, on a private visit, is also expected to tour other areas of the broader Lumbini region.