Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake inaugurated the exposition of the sacred Devnimori Relics of Lord Buddha at the Gangaramaya Temple in Colombo today, marking their first-ever international exposition.
Speaking at the ceremony, Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya expressed gratitude to the Government of India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for making the sacred occasion possible, describing it as a blessing for the people of Sri Lanka to worship the holy relics.
Chief Incumbent of Gangaramaya Temple, Venerable Kirinde Assaji Thero, said the exposition had brought great joy to devotees and noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had given people a reason to rejoice through this exposition.
The Holy Relics arrived in Colombo aboard a special C-130J aircraft of the Indian Air Force, accompanied by a high-level Indian delegation led by Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat and Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi, along with senior Buddhist monks and officials. They were formally received by Sri Lanka’s Minister of Buddhasasana Sunil Senevi and Minister of Public Administration Prof. A.H.M.H. Abeyrathna.
The relics will be enshrined at the revered Gangaramaya Temple until February 10 for public veneration. Thousands of devotees are expected to visit during the seven-day exposition.
Discovered at the Devnimori archaeological site in Gujarat, the relics date back to the early centuries of the Common Era and bear an inscription identifying them as the abode of the Buddha’s bodily relics.
The exposition was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Sri Lanka in April 2025 as part of India’s commitment to share its Buddhist heritage with the world. The historic event highlights the deep civilizational and spiritual ties between India and Sri Lanka and strengthens people-to-people bonds through shared Buddhist heritage.
