COLOMBO: This year Poson Zones across the country were full of devotees on Poson Full Moon day (3), the day Arhat Mahinda Thera’s journey to Ceylon took place. Hundreds of thousands of people came to worship Buddhist shrines across the country including Anuradhapura and ‘Dharma Rashmi’ Homagama-Pitipana Poson region on the day of Poson full moon day. On the occasion of Poson Week which started on the 31, Buddhist shrines across the country have organized rituals including offerings, alms, meditation, dharma sermons, charitable work, devotional song programs, light offerings. Janaka Jayasundara, President of the National Poson Committee and Anuradhapura District Secretary, said that a group of two million devotees had come to worship the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi, Ruwanveli Maha Seya, Atamasthana and Mihintalea and Thantirimale Raja Maha Viharas in the last few days. More than 100,000 people gathered in the sacred places of Anuradhapura. All the regional secretariats of Anuradhapura district gave meals to all these devotees. The government had given Rs.28.8 million for the Anuradhapura Poson programme.
The Anuradhapura District Secretary said that in order to provide transportation facilities for the Poson festival, the Sri Lanka Railway Department also deployed ten additional trains and the Sri Lanka Transport Board and the Road Passenger Transport Authority jointly operated a special bus service.
The District Secretary also said that since it is expected that people would come to worship the shrines in the coming days, all the facilities have been provided for those devotees.
