Sri Lankan High Commissioner-designate to India Milinda Moragoda assumes duties in New Delhi

BY S VENKAT NARAYAN

Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, September 2: Sri Lankan High Commissioner-designate to India Milinda Moragoda assumed duties in New Delhi on August 30 at a simple ceremony. He arrived here with his wife Jennifer last weekend.

Moragoda is the island-nation’s 26th High Commissioner to India since 1942, when its first representative had arrived here.

He met with India’s Chief of Protocol Nagesh Singh on August 31, and handed over the open copies of his credentials as per the practice. He will present his credentials to President Ram Nath Kovind at a formal ceremony in the Rashtrapati Bhavan in the next few days.

He visited the Buddhist Temple at New Delhi Centre of the Mahabodhi Society of India, and received the blessings of its Joint Secretary Ven. R. Sumiththananda Thero. He offered flowers and incense to the Buddha statue.

After religious rites, he had a discussion with the monk on as to how the High Commission of Sri Lanka and the Mahabodhi Society can work together to advance Buddhist relations between the two countries. He inquired after the wellbeing of the Sri Lankan Buddhist monks engaging in missionary work in India. He was accompanied by Mission officials.

On September 1, Moragoda called on the dean of the diplomatic corps, the Ambassador of Eritrea  Alem Tsehaye Woldemariam.

On September 2, Moragoda visited the Swaminarayan Akshardham Temple in New Delhi. He was accorded a very warm welcome by the Chief Priest of the Temple Sadhu Gnanamunidas. He was given a special tour of the sprawling temple premises.

He performed the Abhishek rite by pouring water on the statue of Shri Swaminarayan at the temple, and had a discussion with the Chief Priest. He was accompanied by his wife and Mission Officials.