Travelling to Anuradhapura

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Hello all;

This month I have been continuing my programme of visiting various villages and parishes at the weekends, meeting with Church Councils and Chidren's Workers to discuss their work and their problems. I'm still hoping to get the new Resource Centre settled in a room at the Bishop Lakshman Wickremesinge Conference Centre, although all such projects move very slowly here.

During the first week of September, I took part in a VBS for children and young people north of Kurunagala in the Anuradhapura area.
We stayed at Talawa, which is one of the four Children's Homes managed by the Church in this area. This a home for girls from poor backgrounds, where the family is unable to support the child.

While there, I was able to visit some of sites of the ancient kingdoms. Anuraradhapura ( 3rd century BC ) was the greatest monastic city of the ancient world and home to thousands of monks and many monasteris. It was a royal capital, with huge dagobas - these protect the most sacred relics of Buddhism. It is here that you can find the sacred bo-tree, a sapling of the original tree under which the Buddha gained enlightenment in Bodhi Gaya in India. The Buddhist faith here led to the building of the world's first hospitals; and they also built animal hospitals of which there are many in Sri Lanka.
It is a vast site and I was very glad to be taken by Rev Ranjuna, and Rohini in the van, as it would have been very hot and tiring on foot. They also showed us a modern Buddhist monastery and temple, still being built with a trail of 500 statues.
It was a good weekend altogether.

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