Sri Lanka seeks Ramayana, Buddhist tourism with Gujarat

Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to India Milinda Moragoda who was on a three-day official visit to Gujarat, India sought to promote Ramayana and Buddhist tourism, a statement from the Sri Lankan mission said.

Mr. Moragoda met Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel at the Chief Minister’s office in Gandhinagar. He congratulated the Chief Minister on his victory at the recently concluded assembly elections in Gujarat.

“The discussion focused on the interactions between the State of Gujarat and Sri Lanka in multiple spheres, and particularly in the tourism sector. The importance of promoting the Ramayana trail in Sri Lanka among Gujarati tourists and the Gujarat Buddhist Trail among Sri Lankan pilgrims was also discussed. High Commissioner Moragoda recalled how Sri Lanka and the State of Gujarat signed an MoU on tourism cooperation in 2009 when he was the Minister of Tourism and the Present Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat. The ways and means to further enhance economic activities and people-to-people contact between Sri Lanka and Gujarat were discussed. High Commissioner Moragoda invited Chief Minister Patel to undertake a visit to Sri Lanka at a mutually convenient time.

High Commissioner Moragoda met with the Governor of the State of Gujarat Shri Acharya Devvrat at the Raj Bhavan in Gandhinagar. The Governor extended a warm welcome to the High Commissioner, and the discussion was held in a very cordial manner. The discussion focused on the relations between Sri Lanka and Gujarat. Governor Devvrat is a practitioner of natural farming, and the High Commissioner sought his cooperation in imparting technical know-how to Sri Lanka in this method of farming. The Governor agreed to extend cooperation and invited High Commissioner Moragoda to visit his 200-acre natural farm in Kurukshetra, Haryana. High Commissioner Moragoda briefed the Governor about Sri Lanka’s decision to appoint an Honorary Consul in Ahmedabad to cover the State of Gujarat. The High Commissioner also invited Governor Devvrat to visit Sri Lanka.

High Commissioner Moragoda was accompanied to these meetings by Deputy High Commissioner Niluka Kadurugamuwa and Minister Counsellor of the High Commission of Sri Lanka in Gamini Godakanda.

“The discussion focused on the interactions between the State of Gujarat and Sri Lanka in multiple spheres, and particularly in the tourism sector. The importance of promoting the Ramayana trail in Sri Lanka among Gujarati tourists and the Gujarat Buddhist Trail among Sri Lankan pilgrims was also discussed. High Commissioner Moragoda recalled how Sri Lanka and the State of Gujarat signed an MoU on tourism cooperation in 2009 when he was the Minister of Tourism and the Present Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat. The ways and means to further enhance economic activities and people-to-people contact between Sri Lanka and Gujarat were discussed. High Commissioner Moragoda invited Chief Minister Patel to undertake a visit to Sri Lanka at a mutually convenient time.

High Commissioner Moragoda met with the Governor of the State of Gujarat Shri Acharya Devvrat at the Raj Bhavan in Gandhinagar. The Governor extended a warm welcome to the High Commissioner, and the discussion was held in a very cordial manner. The discussion focused on the relations between Sri Lanka and Gujarat. Governor Devvrat is a practitioner of natural farming, and the High Commissioner sought his cooperation in imparting technical know-how to Sri Lanka in this method of farming. The Governor agreed to extend cooperation and invited High Commissioner Moragoda to visit his 200-acre natural farm in Kurukshetra, Haryana. High Commissioner Moragoda briefed the Governor about Sri Lanka’s decision to appoint an Honorary Consul in Ahmedabad to cover the State of Gujarat. The High Commissioner also invited Governor Devvrat to visit Sri Lanka.