Hambantota Int’l Port supports Surinduni...
Surinduni Kataragama 2019, the grand multicultural festival that attracts people from all over the country, was held from July 3 to 17, 2019, bringing together people of different ethnic and religious backgrounds to celebrate one of Sri Lanka’s most looked forward to events.
Launched last year, Surinduni Kataragama is a festival held parallel to the Kataragama Perahera, which draws thousands of devotees and pilgrims
irrespective of their religious backgrounds.
Buddhists, Hindus, Christians, Muslims and even tourists come to pay their respects at the famous Kataragama shrine and it is this cultural diversity that’s showcased at the event.
“This year, the Hambantota International Port (HIP) was invited as a sponsor and considering the ethnic harmony the event depicts, our management was happy to participate,” says HIPG HR General Manager Jeevan Premasara.
He adds that as a socially responsible organisation, HIP decided to join hands with the organising committee to make the event an even bigger success than last year, especially since it not only promotes intercultural peace and harmony but also helps to uplift the area’s economy.
Premasara says that this year, HIP supported the event only financially, but has bigger plans for next year, as the management has decided to include it in their annual CSR calendar.
“Our employees were very excited about this very colourful project so we decided to support it every year. Next year we plan to be more involved and take on responsibilities like supplying food and water for ‘pada yatra’ pilgrims who walk all the way from Jaffna to join the event, and also help with clearing debris such as polythene from the festival grounds,” he added.