Sri Lanka is a country that suffered a war for 30 years. More than 30,000 members of the three armed forces sacrificed their lives for the sake of the country’s solidarity during this era. The Ship for World Youth Alumni Association of Sri Lanka, in collaboration with the National Youth Services Council and Ranaviru Seva Authority of Sri Lanka, organized a Buddist pirith chanting ceremony to dedicate merit to the war heroes of Sri Lanka at the top of the Sri Pada Temple. This ceremony was held from the evening of December 31, 2022, to the morning of January 1, 2023.
More than 1,000 pilgrims participated in this ceremony, and 4 members of the alumni (DDS Kelum Dasanayaka, Lakmal Weeramanthri, Lahiru Mihiran and Vijitha Suranga, SWY28) helped to provide dinner and lunch to the devotees who came as pilgrims to the top of Sri Pada. Additionally, His Excellency the former President of Sri Lanka, Hon. Gotabaya Rajapaksa, and the former Defense Secretary sent their warm wishes and support to the ceremony.
As SWY alumni, they hope to continue this tradition in the coming years.
