His Holiness landed at the Bandaranaike International Airport at 9.15 a.m. on SriLankan Airlines flight UL-192 from New Delhi. He was accompanied by a 14-member delegation comprising both lay and religious representatives.
The delegation was welcomed at the “Gold Route” special passenger terminal by Deputy Minister of Tourism Ruwan Ranasinghe, Chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau Buddhika Hewawasam, along with several other senior officials.
During the visit, the delegation is scheduled to tour several of Sri Lanka’s prominent Shiva temples, including Thiruketheeswaram Temple in Mannar, Naguleswaram Temple in Jaffna, Koneswaram Temple in Trincomalee, and the Seetha Amman Temple in Nuwara Eliya. They will also visit the ancient ruins of a Shiva temple in Polonnaruwa.
Tourism authorities noted that India currently accounts for the highest number of tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka. With the worship of Lord Shiva being a major religious practice among many Indians, officials expect the visit to help promote Sri Lanka as a key spiritual destination and further attract Indian Shiva devotees to the island.
