New Delhi: The Sri Lankan High Commissioner Milinda Moragoda on Saturday accompanied a group of senior monks from Sri Lanka led by Most Venerable Waskaduwe Mahindawansa Mahanayake Thero to hand over two paintings depicting the arrival of King Ashoka’s son Mahendra and his daughter Sangamitra to Sri Lanka to the Modern Art Gallery.
Minister of State for Culture and External Affairs Meenakshi Lekhi received the paintings at the National Gallery of Modern Art. During the occasion, Minister of State Lekhi mentioned of the close historical, cultural, and traditional relationship between Sri Lanka and India, especially in the context of the Buddhist connect.
While highlighting the ancient linkages between the two countries she emphasized that this relationship should be further strengthened by future generations over centuries. As regards the two paintings, Lekhi mentioned that these are replicas of two original paintings available in a temple close to the Sri Lankan capital Colombo.
She described the pictures in detail explaining how the King in Sri Lanka received the son and daughter of King Ashoka. She expressed thanks to the Sri Lankan delegation and the High Commissioner for this contribution to the National Gallery of Arts. Some of the monks gifted Smt Lekhi with books on Buddhism.
The delegation, which was in Delhi to take part in the global Buddhist Summit 2organizedised by the IBC and the Ministry of Culture, was elated by the decision of the Minister to do “something more concrete” on the Buddhist network between Sri Lanka and India in the coming months and years. DG IBC was also present on the occasion.
