Modi here today for UN Vesak festival

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will arrive in Sri Lanka this afternoon to attend the 14th UN Vesak Day celebrations to be held in Colombo and Kandy.

He will be welcomed by Prime Minister RanilWickremesinghe at a special ceremony to be held at the Bandaranaike International Airport, Katunayake with state honours.

Prime Minister Modi will take part in a religious ceremony at the Gangaramaya Temple in the evening and attend the opening ceremony of the International Vesak Day Celebrations at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) tomorrow, where he will deliver a special lecture.

Later, he will travel to Hatton to inaugurate the new Indian-funded building-complex of the Dickoya Base Hospital.

He will later address a gathering of estate workers of Indian-origin at the Dunbar Stadium in Norwood, Hatton. President Maithripala Sirisena and Premier Wickremesinghe are also expected to attend this event.

All Tamil medium estate sector schools in the Nuwara Eliya and Hatton Educational Zones will be closed tomorrow.

After paying homage at Sri Dalada Maligawa, the Indian Prime Minister will hold bilateral talks with the President at the President’s House in Kandy where the President will host a luncheon in honour of the visiting Premier.

The Indian Prime Minister will leave for New Delhi from the BIA at 3.pm on Friday.(Lahiru Pothmulla)