Kandy, May 14

President Bidhya Devi Bhandari who landed in Kandy, the second largest county in Sri Lanka, this afternoon visited the Temple of the Tooth to observe Astidhatu or the scared relic of the tooth of Gautam Buddha here.

On the occasion, the president also put her signature on the visitors’ book here. Upon her arrival at the Temple, the president received a warm welcome from Sri Lanka’s Minister for Justice and Buddasasana Governance Wijeyadasa  Rajapakse, management bodies and local communities. The main priest of the temple presented a gift to the president.

The president is scheduled to attend the concluding to session of the United Nations Vesak Conference in this Buddhist temple as a special guest this evening. Vesak, also observed in Thailand, Sri Lanka and Myanmar, is the main Buddhist religious festival in the Buddhist-majority country. The festival   that begins on the day of Buddha Jayanti (the birth anniversary of Gautam Budda) is observed for three days.

On the occasion, Minister for General Administration Keshab Kumar Budathoki, Madan Kumar Bhattarai of the Office of the President, Secretary Bhupendra Prasad Poudel and foreign ministry’s officials who are in the president’s entourage were also present.