Sri Maha Bodhi Rituals Submitted for UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Status

Colombo (News 1st): Sri Lanka Lanka has formally submitted the centuries-old offerings and rituals associated with the sacred Sri Maha Bodhi in Anuradhapura to UNESCO for inclusion on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Professor Prabath Jayasinghe, Secretary-General of the Sri Lanka National Commission for UNESCO, confirmed that the nomination has been forwarded and will be considered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in due course.

The Sri Maha Bodhi was brought to Sri Lanka by Theri Sangamitta during the reign of King Devanampiyatissa in and planted in the Mahamewna Gardens in Anuradhapura.

Since then, continuous religious observances and offerings have been performed at the site. 

According to Prof. Jayasinghe, people from eighteen clans who accompanied Theri Sangamitta to Sri Lanka traditionally carried out specific services and rituals for the Sri Maha Bodhi. 

Their descendants continue to uphold these practices to this day, preserving a living tradition spanning over two millennia