Shashi Tharoor to Inaugurate ‘Buddhism in Sri Lanka’ Exhibition on April 9

Report by Santanu Ganguly, New Delhi: The High Commission of Sri Lanka, the India International Center and Benoy Behl opening an exhibition of my photographs ‘Buddhism in Sri Lanka: A great tradition shared with India’. Dr. Shashi Tharoor, Hon. Minister of State for Human Resource Development, Govt. of India, will kindly inaugurate the exhibition at the IIC Annexe, at 6:30 pm on April 9, 2013.

‘Buddhism in Sri Lanka’ Exhibition 

Since ancient times, India and Sri Lanka have shared a deep philosophical tradition. In fact, in the 3rd century BC, following a tradition which had roots in India, their king did not use his name on his inscriptions. He called himself ‘Devanampiya Tissa’, just as the Indian king then called himself ‘Devanampiya Piyadassi’ (‘beloved of the divine, whose vision is filled with adoration’). This is perhaps one of the greatest traditions of the humility of rulers, in all the history of the world.

This exhibition may give us a glimpse of the warmth of our shared cultural bonds; close bonds which we used to have with all the countries of Asia.