Oil Anointing ceremony…
April 17, 2019
Many celebrating the Sinhala and Tamil New Year participated in the Oil Anointing (Hisa Thel Gaama) tradition which fell at 7.40 am this morning (17). Many ceremonies were held around the island today to uphold this tradition, where the main objective is to promote health and to wish the people a long life.
The Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa, former Defense Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa participated in this tradition at the ceremony held in Bellanwila Rajamaha Viharaya.
In a special ceremony held at the Elephant Orphanage in Pinnawala, State Minister Champika Premadasa anointed oil on the heads of the 30-year-old elephant named ‘Manika’ who was rescued from the care of the deceased LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran and the 52-year-old elephant named ‘Leela’. Other elephants of the orphanage, too, participated in this tradition.
Photos by: Saman Vijaya Bandara/Madhawa Kulasooriya
