Gaya:Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on Tuesday visited Bodh Gaya in Bihar's Gaya district and prayed at the Mahabodhi Temple, a UNESCO world heritage site. After arriving at Gaya International Airport, Dissanayake went straight to the 1,500-year-old Mahabodhi Temple, one of the four holy sites related to the life of the Lord Buddha, and particularly to the attainment of Enlightenment.
The Sri Lankan president was received by Bihar ministers Prem Kumar and Santosh Kumar Suman and senior officials of the district administration at the airport. Dissanayake, accompanied by Gaya District Magistrate Thiyagarajan SM, Bodhgaya Temple Management Committee (BTMC) secretary Mahashweta Maharathi and others, offered prayers at the temple.
He also offered prayers and flowers under the sacred Bodhi Tree, a supposed direct descendant of the original Bodhi Tree under which Buddha spent his First Week and had his enlightenment.
Later, in a post on X, the President's Media Division of Sri Lanka-PMD wrote, "President visited Bodh Gaya this morning...paid homage at the Mahabodhi Temple and the sacred Sri Maha Bodhi tree. He also offered floral tributes to the statue of Anagarika Dharmapala and received blessings from general secretary of the Maha Bodhi Society of India, Venerable Pelwatte Seewalee Thero, and head of the Sarnath Centre, Venerable Rathmalwala Sumiththananda Thero."
Talking to reporters, the BTMC secretary said, "The President offered prayers in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple and visited the sacred Bodhi tree." He also visited several other places associated with Lord Buddha in the temple complex. Elaborate security arrangements were made for the Sri Lankan President's visit in Gaya district, an official added.
