Batticaloa celebrates Vesak

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 May 2008, 13:08 GMT]
Vesak, the holiest day in Buddhism, is celebrated this year Monday and Tuesday in Batticaloa district. The celebrations are being conducted in all the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) camps, police stations and in the camps of Special Task Force (STF) in the district, sources in Batticaloa said.

The birth, the Enlightenment, and the death of the Buddha are celebrated by Buddhists through out the world on Vesak day.

Various types of illuminated multicolored lanterns have been hung in a number of locations and chanting of Pirith by Buddhist monks are also being conducted in various parts of the district

Meanwhile, due to security concerns, Vesak celebrations this year throughout Sri Lanka in general are expected to be on a low-key, especially in the more densely populated areas, while religious practices associated with the Vesak season will be observed as usual island wide, sources in Colombo said.