Religious ceremony marks 15 years of Sri Maha Bodhi sapling in Philippines

A special religious ceremony was held today to mark the 15th anniversary of the planting of a sacred sapling of the Sri Maha Bodhi in the Philippines.

The observance coincided with the Lunar New Year, celebrated today in keeping with Chinese tradition. Fifteen years ago, then Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa facilitated the state sponsored offering of a sapling from the Sri Maha Bodhi to the Philippines as a symbol of religious and cultural ties.

The sapling was ceremonially planted at the Universal Wisdom Park Foundation’s Theravada Buddhist temple in the Philippines, with the support of the then Prime Minister D. M. Jayaratne.

In 2011, President Mahinda Rajapaksa also donated a Samadhi Buddha statue to the temple, where it remains enshrined.

Marking the 15 year milestone, a special religious programme was conducted today at the temple. Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to the Philippines, Dr. Chanaka Talpahewa, participated in the event.

Sacred relics brought from Sri Lanka were also ceremonially deposited at the temple today. A large number of Buddhist devotees residing in the Philippines attended the event to pay homage.

The temple, which maintains close ties with Sri Lanka, plays a significant role in promoting Theravada Buddhism in the Philippines. It is regarded as the only temple in the country to house both a sapling of the Sri Maha Bodhi and sacred relics from Sri Lanka.