‘Punyanumodana’ from the People of Sri Lanka to the People of India for the Noble Gift of 500,000 Covidshield Vaccines on the Auspicious Duruthu Full moon Day
A consignment of 500,000 vaccines arrived from India to Sri Lanka today...
It is a custom of Buddhists to go to temple to worship the Buddha when the dusk falls. According to Buddhists in Sri Lanka, going to temple in the evening which was well-lit by the full moon is a fortune for them. They regard going to temple in the full moon-lit night is auspicious. Not only Buddhists, devotees of many religions, even before the advent of Buddhism used to go to their places of worship to engage in religious activities on full moon days.
The meaning Poya denotes the ‘Day of engaging in religious activities”. It is also the day which is close to heaven, god and the piety. The full moon Poya day became a day of religious importance after the advent of Buddhism in Sri Lanka by Arhant Mahinda Thero from India.
January is considered the commencement of a year. According to Sinhala calendar Duruthu is the commencement of a year. Hence, Duruthu Poya (the full moon) is highly significant for the Buddhists in Sri Lanka.
Among the significant events that take place on this Poya Day, another most important incident that is taking place is the donation of 500,000 Covishield vaccines to fight the Covid-19, by India to Sri Lanka. This importance event too takes place on a Duruthu Poya day (today) which is said to be the day that the Buddha arrived in Sri Lanka.
Covid-19 virus invaded the entire world filling panic in the hearts of its inhabitants. Thousands of people succumbed to Covid-19 while millions of people being infected. The world is on a mission to find cure for this deadly virus and a few nations such as India was able to successfully introduce a vaccine to fight Covid-19.
A consignment of 500,000 vaccines arrived from India where the birth of the Buddha took place. Arrival of Buddha and arrival of Covidshield vaccine which was able to give a note of hope to Sri Lankans took place on the same Duruthu Poya day. As the Buddha’s arrival created a new beginning the arrival of Covidshield too is expected to make a lasting impact.
Punyanumodhana are extended by Sri Lankans to India for the great help they receive from their most-trusted neighbour. Punyanumodhana are extended to the medical doctors and scientists in India, the Government of India and the the High Commission of India in Sri Lanka for this noble and exalted act. Sri Lankans remain grateful to their loving caring neigbour for extending India’s friendly and helping hand at such a crucial period of time.
#VaccineMaitri #NeighbourhoodFirst
Photo Courtesy: The Facebook Page of India in Sri Lanka
© Buddhist Brotherhood
28/01/2021
