Sri Lanka today (May 10) marks the beginning of National Vesak Week, commemorating the 2,569th Sambuddha Jayanthi—the birth, enlightenment, and passing away of Lord Buddha. The week-long observance will continue until May 16.
This year’s State Vesak Festival is being held in the Nuwara Eliya District, with events officially commencing today. The festival is organized in collaboration with the All Ceylon Sasanarakshaka Mandalaya, the Presidential Secretariat, the Ministry of Buddha Sasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, the Department of Buddhist Affairs, the Central Provincial Council, and the Nuwara Eliya District Secretariat.
Held under the theme “Let’s associate with noble friends with good qualities,” the festival aims to promote spiritual development and social harmony through religious activities, decorative displays, and community engagement.
As part of the celebrations, the second phase of the ‘Siam Lanka Dharma Yatra’—a spiritual pilgrimage that began in Bandarawela—will conclude in Nuwara Eliya today. The program is a joint initiative of the Sasanarakshaka Mandalayas of Nuwara Eliya and Badulla.
In addition, several long-pending temple development projects in the Nuwara Eliya District are scheduled to be launched during Vesak Week, with the support of the Sri Lankan tri-forces.
To honour the sacred period, the Government Information Department has announced that all meat shops, slaughterhouses, liquor stores, casinos, clubs, and racebooks islandwide will be closed on May 12, 13, and 14. The sale of meat in supermarkets is also strictly prohibited during this time.
Vesak remains the most significant religious festival for Buddhists in Sri Lanka and is observed across the country with devotional activities, the lighting of Vesak lanterns, and acts of charity.
