Colombo: Marking a milestone in the shared cultural heritage of India and Sri Lanka, a replica of Emperor Ashoka’s Vaishali Pillar of Dhamma and a special exposition of the sacred Kapilavastu Relics were inaugurated by Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha at the RajaGuru Sri Subuthi Maha Viharaya Temple in Sri Lanka.

Taking to X, the Indian High Commission described the event as a symbol of “deep historical, cultural and spiritual India-Sri Lanka ties.” The ceremony was held at RajaGuru Sri Subuthi Maha Viharaya in Waskaduwa, a coastal town in Sri Lanka. This prominent Buddhist temple is renowned for housing the sacred relics of Lord Buddha and his two foremost disciples – Sariputra and Maudgalyayana.

High Commissioner Jha joined Most Ven. Waskaduwawe Mahindawansa Mahanayake Thero, head of the Amarapura Sambuddha Sasanodaya Maha Nikaya, to inaugurate the special exposition of the Kapilavastu Relics at the temple.

“High Commissioner also conveyed best wishes to Most Ven. Thero on his birthday and offered prayers for his long life,” the Indian High Commission stated on X. Buddhism has long served as a spiritual bridge between India and Sri Lanka, dating back to the time when Ashoka sent his children, Arhat Mahinda and Theri Sanghamitta, to propagate the Buddha’s teachings at the request of Sri Lankan King Devanampiya Tissa.

Earlier in April, during his visit to Sri Lanka, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, visited the Jaya Shri Mahabodhi Temple in Anuradhapura to offer prayers.

The temple holds profound spiritual and civilisational importance for both nations. It is home to a Bodhi tree believed to have grown from a sapling brought from India by Theri Sanghamitta, daughter of Emperor Ashoka.

Emphasising this historic spiritual bond, PM Modi announced during his visit that the Holy Relics of Lord Buddha, discovered in 1960 in Gujarat’s Aravalli region, would be sent to Sri Lanka for exposition.

Underlining deep people-to-people connections and shared Buddhist heritage, the revered Kapilavastu relics – discovered in India in 1970 – have previously been exhibited twice in Sri Lanka.

The first exhibition occurred in 1978, drawing nearly 10 million devotees. In 2012, they were brought again at the request of then-President Mahinda Rajapaksa, to mark the 2600th anniversary of the Buddha’s Enlightenment.

In October 2015, relics from Waskaduwe Vihara were displayed in India to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Dr B.R. Ambedkar embracing Buddhism with 500,000 followers. Over 8 million people visited to pay homage.