JOIN USSri Lanka Radio broadcasts religious chants to help India overcome Covid-19 crisis
Sri Lanka's state-run SLBC will broadcast live the chantings from a religious blessing ceremony from May 7 to 13 that is being conducted as an act of solidarity with India and help it overcome the health crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, an official statement said on Friday.
Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had pledged to Prime Minister Modi that Buddhist monks in this country would preach religious blessings to help India overcome the pandemic, the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) said. It pointed out that the broadcast commenced on Thursday.
A press release said that the Rathana Suthra was recited over airwaves of SLBC yesterday between 6.30- to 7 pm local time. “From the 7 to 13 May it will be broadcast live from 6 pm to 7 pm on shortwave 11905 khz”, the SLBC said.
Rajapaksa on April 28 wrote to Prime Minister Modi that the local Buddhist clergy were planning to “compassionately recite the ‘Rathana Suthra’ (sacred verses) to invoke blessings on the people of India, thus demonstrating the close bond and affinity between our two countries".
Rathana Suthra was delivered by the Buddha at a time when India’s Visala was being hit by famine and the plague of disease and when people called for Buddha to help. He recited the Rathana Suthra which dispelled all diseases.
The Rathana Suthra blessing to help India curb the pandemic comes from the wishes of the President and his brother the prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, the SLBC said.
With a record 4,14,188 new coronavirus infections being reported in a day, India's total tally of Covid-19 cases climbed to 2,14,91,598, while the active cases crossed the 36-lakh mark, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday.
The death toll rose to 2,34,083 with 3,915 fatalities being reported in a span of 24 hours, according to the official figures.