People’s Bank sponsors annual Kelaniya Duruthu Perahera

Saturday, 18 January 2020 00:02 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

People’s Bank has stepped forward to support the Kelaniya Duruthu Perahera of the Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara, the annual procession that was first inaugurated in 1927 and is popularly known as ‘Kelani Perahera’ among the general public.

The Kelaniya Duruthu Perahera is a historic cultural event that is organised by the Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara and its ‘Daayaka Sabhawa’. This spectacular pageant commemorates Lord Buddha’s visit to Sri Lanka during ancient times and is witnessed by thousands of locals as well as foreign tourists.

The pageant displays various ancient traditions and highlights the cultural heritage of the island, consisting of traditional music, dances and drumming that have been built around Buddhist customs found in the country. It is known to be the most popular low-country procession of its kind in Sri Lanka due to its impressive collection of drummers, dancers, torchbearers, acrobats and elephants. Special religious activities such as pirith chanting, Buddhist sermons and other rituals are organised in the Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara during this period.

In keeping with the Bank’s objective to lend support to preserve and nurture the proud heritage of the country, People’s Bank has always ensured that it is plays an active role in religious and cultural events across the country. The Bank strongly believes that such initiatives will help protect age-old traditions that need to be preserved for future generations.

Official Sponsorship Cheque handing over was held with the participation of the Chief Incumbent of the Kelaniya Raja Maha Viharaya Prof. Kollupitiye Mahinda Sangharakkhitha Thera. People’s Bank Chief Executive Officer/General Manager Rasitha Gunawardena handed over the official cheque to Basnayake Nilame Dhammika Attiygala. People’s Bank Senior Deputy General Manager (Banking Operations) Bonniface Silva, Kelani Raja Maha Vihara Daayaka Sabha Secretary Saman Ranasinghe, and Kelani Raja Maha Vihara Sanwardhana Sabha Treasurer Vasantha A. De Silva were also present.