Modi visits Buddhist temple, inaugurates railway projects in Sri Lanka

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday (April 6) visited an ancient Buddhist temple in the Sri Lankan town of Anuradhapura before inaugurating two India-assisted railway projects there with President Anura Dissanayake.

Dressed in a white kurta-pyjama, Modi bowed on bended knees to a senior saffron-robed Buddhist priest at the Maha Bodhi temple who, seated on a sofa, placed his hand on the Indian leader’s head and patted his back.

President Dissanayake, a Sinhalese Buddhist, stood nearby, watching Modi pay his respects to the clergy.

Bodhi tree

The shrine houses a Bodhi tree believed to have grown from a sapling brought from India by a daughter of Emperor Ashoka in the early days of Buddhism in Sri Lanka.

Thousands of devout Buddhists visit the temple in Anuradhapura, which is located about 200 km north of Colombo and which was the capital of ancient Sri Lanka.

Anuradhapura is also the place where Tamil Tiger guerrillas massacred scores of Buddhist pilgrims in 1985, shocking Sri Lanka and beyond.

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Buddhist crowds

Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, who is accompanying the prime minister, said the Bodhi tree marked “a powerful symbol of India-Sri Lanka civilizational partnership”.

After paying his respects to the chief priest, Modi and Dissanayake had a brief audience with the monk.

Large crowds of Buddhists gathered in Anuradhapura to receive Modi, who flew into the town by a helicopter from Colombo, where he had a hectic day on Saturday.

Railway projects

The two leaders then jointly inaugurated an upgraded 128-km railway track linking one part of Anuradhapura to Omanthai, which once formed the gateway to the de facto state controlled by the Tamil Tigers in the north of Sri Lanka.

They also formally opened a railway signalling system in Anuradhapura.

The railway projects are part of India’s broader commitment to support Sri Lanka’s infrastructure development.

Also read: Modi seeks release of Indian fishermen, reconciliation in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka visit ends

A Sri Lankan woman standing near the railway station told journalists: “We are grateful to Modi for coming to Anuradhapura. The railway line is very important for us.”

Earlier, on his arrival, Modi posted on X: “In Anuradhapura with my friend, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.”

Modi flew off from Anuradhapura to Tamil Nadu, ending a three-day visit to Sri Lanka which started with his arrival on Friday night from the BIMSTEC summit in Bangkok.

Modi in Colombo

On Saturday, India and Sri Lanka signed several MoUs, including one on defence agreement, digital economy, energy, and health and pharma sectors.

Modi also inaugurated a 50 MW solar power energy project in Sampur in the eastern district of Trincomalee.

Also read: 4 decades after Lanka misadventure, India bolsters ties with defence deal

Homage to Indian troops

After meeting a cross-section of Sri Lankan political leaders and others, Modi on Saturday evening paid homage to the nearly 1,200 Indian troops killed fighting the Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka’s northeast in 1987-90.