A group of diplomats based in New Delhi will travel to Kandy this week to witness the Kandy Esala Perahera and experience Sri Lanka’s cultural and religious heritage as part of a specially arranged three-day programme from August 26.
The visit will bring together members of the diplomatic community in New Delhi who also represent their respective countries in Sri Lanka, highlighting the role of the Indian capital as an important centre for Sri Lanka’s diplomatic engagement with the international community.
There are currently 99 Ambassadors and High Commissioners based in New Delhi who, in addition to representing their countries in India, are also accredited to Sri Lanka.
Six newly designated Heads of Mission from among them will present their Letters of Credence to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in Colombo tomorrow (25), the High Commission of Sri Lanka in New Delhi said in a statement.
They are the High Commissioner-designates of Guyana Dharamkumar Seeraj, Ghana Prof. Kwasi Obiri-Danso, and Brunei Darussalam Siti Arnyfariza Binti Mohd Jaini, as well as Ambassador-designates of Sudan Dr. Mohammed Abdalla Ali Eltom, the Dominican Republic Francisco Manuel Compress Hernandez, and Austria Robert Zischg.
Diplomats to experience Sri Lanka's cultural heritage
On August 26, a delegation of 19 diplomats and accompanying family members from New Delhi-based Embassies and High Commissions will travel to Kandy for the specially arranged programme.
The delegation includes senior diplomatic representatives from Guyana, Ghana, Iceland, Papua New Guinea, Ireland, Tanzania, Zambia, the Dominican Republic, Austria and Latvia.
The programme has been organised to provide the visiting diplomats with an opportunity to experience Sri Lanka beyond formal diplomatic engagements, with a focus on its living heritage, religious traditions, cultural performances, cuisine and hospitality.
The diplomats will visit the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, witness the Thewawa ceremony and visit the International Buddhist Museum and other sites of historical and cultural importance.
A key highlight of the visit will be witnessing the Randoli Perahera on August 27, giving the visiting diplomats an opportunity to experience one of Sri Lanka’s most prominent expressions of cultural and religious heritage.
The programme will also include a traditional Kandyan dinner hosted by the Chief Custodian of the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic and a traditional lunch at the Ehelepola Walawwa.
The delegation will conclude its visit with tours of the Royal Botanic Gardens in Peradeniya, a gem and jewellery establishment and the Hantana Tea Museum, showcasing aspects of Sri Lanka’s natural, cultural and economic heritage.
The High Commission of Sri Lanka in New Delhi said the visit is intended to strengthen the cultural and people-to-people dimension of Sri Lanka’s diplomatic relations and provide the New Delhi-based diplomatic community with a deeper understanding of the country.
