published by, Pragati Pal
Last Update: April 23, 2023, 00:01 IST
Sri Lankan High Commissioner Milinda Moragoda, accompanied by a group of the country’s senior monks, led by His Holiness Vaskaduwe Mahindawansa Mahanayake Thero, to hand over two paintings depicting the arrival of Ashoka’s son Mahendra and his daughter Sanghamitra in Sri Lanka. (File Photo/PTI)
The replicas of the original paintings in a temple near Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka, will be kept at the National Museum of Modern Art (NGMA).
Sri Lankan Ambassador Milinda Moragoda presented to India two paintings depicting the arrival of Emperor Ashoka’s son and daughter in the country, officials said in New Delhi on Saturday.
He said the replicas of the original paintings at a temple near Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo would be kept at the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA).
A senior official said Union Minister of State for Culture and External Affairs Meenakshi Lekhi received the painting at the NGMA.
He said Sri Lankan High Commissioner Milinda Moragoda had accompanied a group of senior monks to the country led by Most Venerable Vaskaduwe Mahindawansa Mahanayake Thero to hand over two paintings depicting the arrival of Ashoka’s son Mahendra and his daughter Sanghamitra in Sri Lanka.
The NGMA, located at Jaipur House near India Gate, comes under the purview of the Union Ministry of Culture.
The handover ceremony took place on the sidelines of the two-day Global Buddhist Summit that ended on Friday. The Sri Lankan delegation was present at the Global Buddhist Summit along with representatives of the Mahabodhi Society.
Officials said the minister later hosted them for lunch and ‘Theravada food’ was served to the delegates at his office.
Lekhi noted the close historical, cultural and traditional ties between Sri Lanka and India, particularly in the context of Buddhism.
Highlighting the ancient ties between the two countries, Lekhi emphasized that this bond should be “further strengthened by generations to come over the centuries”.
He described the paintings in detail, describing how the king received Ashoka’s son and daughter in Sri Lanka. Lekhi thanked the Sri Lankan delegation and the High Commissioner for their contribution to the NGMA. Officials said some monks presented books on Buddhism to Lekhi.
The official said the delegation was “happy” with the minister’s decision to do “something more concrete” on the Buddhist network between Sri Lanka and India in the coming months and years.
Lekhi also tweeted about the paintings being gifted and shared some pictures.
“Delighted to unveil beautiful murals painted by Solias Mendis and presented by @SLinIndia on the sidelines of the Global Buddhist Summit,” he tweeted.
“The frescoes depict historical events marking the arrival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka and reflect the strong civilizational bonds between our two countries,” he said.
“The painting depicts the arrival of King Ashoka’s son Mahendra and his daughter Sanghamitra to Sri Lanka as part of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Sri Lanka,” he said in his tweet.
Ashoka, also known as Ashoka the Great, was an emperor of the Maurya Empire, whose capital was located at ancient Pataliputra (present-day Patna). He sent his son Mahendra and daughter Sanghamitra to Sri Lanka to spread Buddhism.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)