Bohra leader’s visit suddenly shrouded in secrecy
The Bohra chief expected to retreat to the luxurious Anasa Wellness Resort in Bandarawela to escape the ravages of COVID-19 in Mumbai, India The entourage was to arrive today on a chartered aircraft, but officials now say date of arrival 'uncertain' PHI
With its cosy chalets, gourmet cooking and helipad, the Anasa Wellness Resort in Bandarawela is an exercise in luxury. This high profile destination snuggled into the salubrious hills will be the address of His Holiness Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin, the head of the Dawoodi Bohras, till it is determined that the COVID- 19 pandemic in Mumbai, India, has subsided enough for him to return.
The Bohra chief and his entourage are expected to arrive via chartered aircraft to escape the ravages of the disease in India. His permanent residence is ‘Saifee Mahal’ in Mumbai’s upmarket Malabar Hills. That building was sealed owing to the discovery of COVID- 19 patients.
However, Dr Syedna and his immediate family have been camping in Khandala, a hill station in the Western Ghats of Maharashtra in India, since the lockdown began in that State. They were due to arrive in Sri Lanka on June 21 but the visit is suddenly being afforded a level of secrecy that wasn’t accorded before.
The timing for the arrival is “uncertain”, Admiral ( Rtd) Pro f Jayanat h Colombage, Additional Secretary to the President for Foreign Relations, said this week. He had earlier told media he expected them to arrive "at least around the 21st of June".
This week, Admiral Colombage reiterated that Head of State status would be granted when His Holiness and his entourage do come. He also assured that strict health protocols will be followed.
The hotel complex usually used by the Bohra community in Bandarawela is the Anasa Wellness Resort, local authorities there confirmed. His Holiness arrived at the retreat on a previous location via helicopter. A spring that waters adjoining paddy fields runs through the property which is shield by a 20- foot high perimeter wall.
The development is owned by a wellknown local Bohra businessman. There are plans to build 40 chalets there. Nineteen have already been completed. A community spokesman refused to confirm or deny the upcoming visit.
There are two estates in Bandarawela belonging to members of the Dawoodi Bohra community. They are within five kilometres of each other. Anasa Wellness, which is built on a 25 acre property, also functions as a Bohra training institute. The other site is a “wallapatta” plantation called K- Life and is five acres in extent.
Prof. Colombage said the visitors will each undergo a PCR test in Mumbai. It is only once they are cleared that they will be allowed to enter Sri Lanka. The group will be taken directly to Bandarawela with their retreat being converted to a quarantine centre. They will spend 14 days in mandatory self-isolation. Around 40 to 45 people are expected.
The arrival is now shrouded in so much secrecy that local Public Health Inspectors say they have received no official instructions to carry out inspections or precautionary measures. They also stated that most hotels in Ella have not been given permission yet to function.
A call to Anasa Wellness requesting a booking from June 21 onwards yielded the person at the other end saying that they were not operational yet and also that they have VIP guests arriving shortly.