On 25 December 2024, President Comrade Anura Kumara Dissanayake visited India. The customary state visits of the presidents of Sri Lanka to India upon assuming duties strengthen the bilateral political relations between the two countries. President Comrade Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s visit to India is especially significant due to his pilgrimage to the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya, Bihar, India, where Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment.
Recently, Sri Lankan presidents visited the Tirupati temple in India, not Bodh Gaya. (This is not by any means an attack on the Tirupati Temple)
The brotherly relations between the Buddhists in India and Sri Lanka from the past have survived to the present day. Bharata is the birthplace of Buddhist philosophy taught by Gautama Buddha. The strong Indo-Sri Lankan bond has become even stronger due to the visit of President Comrade Anura Kumara Dissanayake to the Buddha Gaya shrine.
A country’s self-sufficiency has strong links to welfare and peace. Consequently, our world is in desperate need of seeds of brotherhood. Therefore, we hope that President Comrade Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s right vision and the strength of the Indian Buddhist Brotherhood will chart a new political course for the country. Also, the Buddhist Brotherhood Foundation would like to take this opportunity to convey its best wishes to President Comrade Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
Let us unite in brotherhood!