In a matter of days, the Mahinda Rajapaksa-led government of Sri Lanka has indicated that India is the only friend of the island country. In a bid to maintain healthy and peaceful relations between the two countries, the island country has presented India with a shila from Ashok Vatika, for the Ram mandir in Ayodhya.
Sri Lanka’s present for Ram mandir in Ayodhya:
Milinda Moragoda, Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to India, with his delegation, arrived at the Ram janmabhoomi in Ayodhya, on thursday. He presented a shila (sacred stone) from Sri Lanka’s Ashok Vatika, for the Ram mandir.
The High Commissioner, along with his wife Jennifer Moragoda, Deputy High Commissioner Niluka Kadurugamuwa, Minister H G U Pushpkumara and Counsellor G K G Sarath Godakanda, visited the the Ram janmabhoomi to seek blessings from Ram Lalla.
Earlier this year, the Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka had tweeted to inform that the island country had offered a stone from Sita Eliya (Ashok Vatika) to strengthen its ties with India by contributing to the construction of the Ram mandir in Ayodhya.
“A stone from Sita Eliya in Sri Lanka for the Ram Temple in Ayodhya will be a pillar of strength for India-Sri Lanka ties. This stone was received at the Mayurapathi Amman Temple by HC-designate of Sri Lanka to India HE Mr. Milinda Moragoda in presence of the High Commissioner,” the tweet read.
Sri Lanka’s efforts to strengthen its bond with India:
Earlier this month, Sri Lankan Cabinet Minister Namal Rajapaksa had also presented a Sinhala version of Bhagavad Gita, to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla had stated, “When Minister Namal Rajapaksa met our PM, he presented to him a copy of Bhagavad Gita in Sinhala language, in which his father Sri Lankan PM Mahinda Rajapaksa has written a personal message to our PM”.
Also read: Reclamation of Hindu Temples is a necessary historical course correction
Rajapaksa, while speaking at an event, had showed his gratitude towards PM Modi for strengthening the bilateral ties. He said, “It gives me great pleasure and honour to be on the inaugural international flight to Kushinagar on the auspicious day of Vap Poya Day. I recall it was Indian PM Modi who suggested to the Sri Lankan Prime Minister during the Virtual Bilateral Summit with Sri Lanka in September 2020, that 100 members of Buddhist clergy must join for the inaugural flight to Kushinagar operated by Sri Lankan airlines. It’s an honour we will cherish for years to come”.
Sri Lanka, with these steps of gifting the precious shila and Bhagavad Gita to India, has begun sending out strong signals of aligning with India to maintain its firm ties with the nation. These developments are bound to irk China greatly, as the communist nation under Xi Jinping has been trying its best to expand it sphere of influence in Sri Lanka.