SRI LANKAN president Ranil Wickremesinghe has expressed gratitude to His Holiness Swami Govindadev Giriji Maharaj, chief priest and treasurer of the Ayodhya Temple in Uttar Pradesh for his historic visit to Sri Lanka.
In a letter to Swamiji, Wickremesinghe acknowledged the significance of Swamiji's visit in strengthening the bilateral relationship between Sri Lanka and India and promoting the Rama-Sita pilgrimage, which is an integral part of the Hindu epic, the Ramayana.
The President said that this initiative would enhance Indian tourism to Sri Lanka, potentially bringing millions of Hindus to the island nation each year.
This pilgrimage holds economic significance for regions such as Chilaw, Mannar, Anuradhapura, Hatton, Nuwara Eliya, Ella, Hambantota, Kataragama, Galle, and Kenaniya, where thousands of devotees are expected to visit and pray, following in the footsteps of the Ramayana.
The visit was facilitated by Niranjan Deva-Aditya, with Muralidharan Murthy, chairman of the Commonwealth Peace Foundation and Global Peace Advocate, and Rogan Muralidharan, member of the International Advisory Board of the Commonwealth Union and of India, who promoted the idea of closer bilateral relations.
Ayodhya, where Lord Rama is believed to have been born, attracts over 150,000 pilgrims daily.
A fraction of these pilgrims may travel to Sri Lanka to complete the second half of the pilgrimage, where Sita was held, would significantly boost the tourism sector and its earnings, the letter noted.
In his letter, Wickremesinghe also expressed his wish to meet him in Ayodhya and perform a puja at the temple during a future visit to Uttar Pradesh.
According to reports, there are 52 locations associated with the Ramayana Trail in Sri Lanka. More than just a tourist attraction, the ‘Shri Ramayana Trails’ represents a spiritual journey that brings the ancient epic of the Ramayana into contemporary and future contexts.
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During the hearing, Clifford denied all the charges except for the rape charge, which was added to the indictment at the session. (Photo: Hertfordshire Police /Handout via REUTERS)
Man pleads not guilty to murder of BBC presenter's family
A 26-year-old man has pleaded not guilty to charges of murdering the wife and two daughters of BBC sports commentator John Hunt in a crossbow and knife attack.
Kyle Clifford, who also faces charges of rape, appeared via video link at Cambridge Crown Court on Thursday.
Clifford, arrested in July after a manhunt, is charged with three counts of murder, one count each of rape and false imprisonment, and two counts of possessing offensive weapons – a 10-inch knife and a crossbow.
During the hearing, Clifford denied all the charges except for the rape charge, which was added to the indictment at the session.
He is expected to enter a plea for that charge at a later date.
The victims were Carol Hunt, 61, wife of horseracing commentator John Hunt, and their daughters Louise, 25, and Hannah, 28.
An earlier hearing revealed that Louise had been found tied up and that both she and her sister had been shot with a crossbow, while their mother had been stabbed with a knife.
The fatal attack occurred at the family’s home in Bushey, a commuter town near Watford, northwest of London.
(With inputs from AFP)