Ministry to ascertain condition of Sanchi Bodhi Tree

The Buddha Sasana and Religious Affairs Ministry today said it would look into the reports of the dying and wilting condition of a Bodhi Tree supposedly planted near Sanchi in India by President Mahinda Rajapaksa a couple of years ago.

The Indian media earlier reported that the Bodhi Tree planted by President Rajapaksa near Sanchi world heritage site in Madhya Pradesh, India was not looked after well.

“We are aware of the news reports but we have yet to ascertain exactly which Bodhi Tree the news reports are of.  The Sanchi Temple is under the purview of Ven. Banagala Upatissa Thera. Therefore, we can contact him over the issue and to determine what exactly the issue is,” Ministry Secretary M.K.B. Dissanayake said.

He said that there will be state level mediation into the issue and that the Ministry will also contact the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka. “There is not much we could do but we will write to the High Commission on the issue,” he said.

According to the media reports, The Bodhi Tree has grown from a sapling that was planted by the President on September 21, 2012 at the site of the International University of Buddhist and Indic Studies, just a few km from Sanchi world heritage site. (Lahiru Pothmulla)