Vietnam receives a sapling of sacred Sri Maha Bodhi Tree

Marking yet another milestone in Sri Lanka-Vietnam relations, a sapling of the sacred Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi Tree of Anuradhapura was brought to Vietnam on 22 July.

The gift of the sapling of the sacred tree was made at the request of Xuan Truong Construction Company CEO Nguyen Van Truong, a devoted Buddhist and a philanthropist, to Parliament Speaker Karu Jayasuriya during the latter’s visit to Vietnam in April. 

A delegation comprising of senior Buddhist monks from Vietnam, staff of Xuan Truong Construction Company and a media team visited Sri Lanka on 19 July to accompany the sacred sapling. After performing the rituals at the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi premises in Anuradhapura, the sacred sapling was brought to Vietnam by the Vietnamese delegation. Pallegama Siriniwasa Thero, Custodian and Chief Priest of Maha Bodhi and Atamasthana Adhipathi of Anuradhapura, Ihala Halmillawe Rathnapala Nayaka Thero, Chief Priest of Jethawana Maha Vihara of Anuradhapura, a representative from the Speaker’s Office and botanic experts from Sri Lanka, also visited Vietnam with the sacred sapling. 

The sacred sapling was ceremonially received at the Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi by the senior Priests of Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, Ambassador of Sri Lanka in Vietnam and Nguyen Van Truong, and was taken in procession to Tam Chuc Pagoda in Ha Nam Province. 

Tam Chuc Pagoda is the venue for the 16th UN Vesak Day Celebrations in 2019, which is still under construction. It is being constructed by Nguyen Van Truong. Truong also built the famous Bai Dinh Pagoda in the adjoining Ninh Binh Province in 2003, which is considered the biggest pagoda in Vietnam. 

After an elaborate ceremony attended by over 5000 devotees, the sacred sapling was planted. 

Prior to the arrival of the delegates accompanying the sacred sapling, the devotees gathered in the temple premises had the opportunity to watch the Buddhist movie depicting the life of Lord Buddha, ‘Sri Siddhartha Gautama’, produced by Light of Asia Foundation of Sri Lanka Chairman Navin Gooneratne.