Sri Lanka’s Mahinda Rajapaksa arrived in Varanasi on Sunday, a day after he held talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on bilateral ties between the two countries, including in areas of defence and security.
Mahinda Rajapaksa had arrived in New Delhi on Friday on a five-day visit and held talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to explore ways to further boost bilateral ties.
He also met foreign minister S Jaishankar and talked about issues related to development partnership and security cooperation between the two countries.
A senior official of the district administration said Mahinda Rajapaksa was received by additional director general (Varanasi Zone) Braj Bhushan and other top officials and given traditional welcome at the Lal Bahadur Shashtri International Airport.
Rajapaksa then went to Kashi Vishwanath Temple where he offered prayers to Lord Shiva.
Additional district magistrate (protocol) Atul Kumar said the Sri Lankan prime minister would visit Sarnath. Sarnath, where Buddha had given his first sermon, is considered to be the holiest place among the followers of Buddhism.
Rajapaksa will pay obeisance at the Upadesh Sthali (the spot of sermon) and Dhamekh Stoop, Mahabodhi Society of India’s joint secretary Medhankar Thero said. He would also offer prayers at Buddha Temple in Moolgandh Kuti Vihar in Sarnath.
{{/usCountry}}Rajapaksa will pay obeisance at the Upadesh Sthali (the spot of sermon) and Dhamekh Stoop, Mahabodhi Society of India’s joint secretary Medhankar Thero said. He would also offer prayers at Buddha Temple in Moolgandh Kuti Vihar in Sarnath.
{{/usCountry}}Officials said that tight security arrangements have been put in place in view of the visit of Rajapaksa.
Rajapaksa had said on Saturday that India’s move to scrap Article 370 was the country’s internal affair.
“Whatever the view of any country, we will not get involved in the internal matters of India. But remember this: I always say India is a relation. Others are friends,” Rajapaksa said during an interview with HT when asked about Pakistan’s calls for Sri Lanka to condemn India’s Kashmir move.
Rajapaksa also said “without India’s help, I don’t think we would have won” the civil war in Sri Lanka, hours after he held talks with Prime Minister Modi.
Before Rajapaksa, French president Emanuel Macron had visited Varanasi in March 2018. Germany president Frank Walter Steinmeier also came to Varanasi in March 2018 and watched the famous Ganga Aarti.
Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe had visited Varanasi in December 2015.
After Varanasi and Sarnath, the Sri Lankan prime minister will travel to Bodh Gaya in Bihar and Andhra Pradesh’s Tirupati.
This is the 74-year-old’s first visit to India since taking office in November last year.