Trees offered to Maha Sangha for protection from wanton destruction

The main idea of this programme is to prevent the ongoing wanton destruction of the Nilgala forest reserve

A ceremony called ‘ordaining of forest trees’, according to a tradition followed by the Buddhist monks in Thailand, Vietnam and Laos to protect the forests, was performed in the Nilgala medicinal forest reserve on the boundary of the Galoya National Park on Saturday.

The main idea of this programme is to prevent the ongoing wanton destruction of the forest reserve, the organisers said.

More than 100 trees in an area of 60-acres at Aluthwela in Kotabowa, were thus ordained, under traditional customs and were offered to the Maha-Sangha.

Several environmental committees and Buddhist organisations joined hands and conducted this ceremony, with the help of several civil society associations in the area.

Addressing the gathering, Kebaliya Raja Maha Viharaya Chief Incumbent Ven Alupahana Piyaratana Thera said, ordaining of trees was prevalent in several Buddhist countries including Thailand, Vietnam and Laos, and it was introduced to Sri Lanka by environmental enthusiast Raja Dharmapala who entered the Buddhist Order at a temple in Thailand as Kalyanamitra

Ordaining of trees was prevalent in several Buddhist countries including Thailand, Vietnam and Laos, and it was introduced to Sri Lanka by environmental enthusiast Raja Dharmapala

Dharmapala.

Ven. Thera said the programme would be expanded to other areas of the forest reserve and that more than 1,000 trees would be ordained.

Mahasangha from several areas of the country including Chief Sanghanayake of the Uwa-Wellassa and Bimthenna and Chief Incumbent of the Nagala Historic Temple Ven Badullagammana Sumnasara, and Deputy Sanghanayake of the Uva Wellassa and Batticaloa Ven. Keselwatte Wimalatissa and more than 500 devotees attended the ceremony.