London Buddhist Vihara Sanghamitta Day Celebrations 2019

Sanghamitta Day Celebrations was held at the London Buddhist Vihara on Sunday, 15th December 2019, commencing at 9.00 a.m. This year's event was sponsored by UK Branch of the Past Pupils' Association of St. Paul’s, Milagiriya and together with this celebration people have collected lots of items to be donated to Acton homeless centre.This festival is unique to Sri Lanka as it commemorates the arrival of Sanghamitta, daughter of Emperor Asoka of India, for the purpose of establishing the Bhikkhuni Order in the island. This day is also of universal significance to Buddhists as Sanghamitta brought with her a sapling of the Bodhi Tree from Buddha Gaya. The sapling, planted at Anuradhapura in 245 B.C., is today regarded as the oldest historically authenticated tree in the world.

Photographs by Tissa Madawela