“Walk for Peace” concludes at Independence Square

29-Apr-2026

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The “Walk for Peace” initiated in Dambulla by US-based Vietnamese Buddhist monk Venerable Pannagakara Thero concluded on April 28, at Independence Square, Colombo.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake ceremonially presented a sacred Bo branch symbolising Sri Lanka’s Buddhist heritage to the Thero. The President also received blessings after offering a symbolic stupa replica of the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi. In return, Venerable Pannagakara Thero presented a Buddha statue to the President and invoked blessings.

The Thero, who had earlier walked approximately 3,700 km from Texas to Washington D.C. in the United States, arrived in Sri Lanka on April 21 carrying a message of awareness and reconciliation.

The pilgrimage in Sri Lanka commenced in Dambulla and concluded at Independence Square, Colombo. The delegation carried sacred relics, including a Bodhi sapling from the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi in Anuradhapura.

A rescued street dog named “Aloka,” which had accompanied the Thero during his journey in the United States, also joined him in Sri Lanka, drawing significant public and media attention as a symbol of compassion and discipline.

The event, held under state patronage, was attended by the President, ministers, religious leaders, and a large gathering of the public.