Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena visited Sanchi on Saturday. Sirisena arrived in India to attend the `Vichar Mahakumbh' in village Ninora, near Ujjain.

At Sanchi, Sirisena unveiled the statue of Dhammapathik Anagarika Dharmapala, a Sri Lankan Buddhist revivalist and writer who was one of the founding contributors of non-violent Sinhalese Buddhist nationalism.

Expressing gratification over his visit, Sirisena said that he felt blessed and thanked MP chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and BJP spokesperson Ram Madhav for inviting him to Sanchi. He also praised the government for establishing the Sanchi University of Buddhist-Indic Studies.

Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who accompanied President Sirisena announced building a `friendship park' near Sanchi University. ``The park will strengthen the friendship and cultural bond between the two countries'', he said.

Chouhan also said that a grand temple dedicated to Sita would be built at the site where she had undergone `Angi Pariksha' in Sri Lanka. ``Expenditure on this would be borne by Madhya Pradesh government while, Sri Lanka government has agreed to provide land for the temple'', he added.

Earlier, the Sri Lankan President along with Speaker of Sri Lankan Parliament Karunaratna Jayasurya, visited Chaityagiri temple and worshipped the holy relics of Lord Buddha's disciples Mahamoggalayan and Sariputta.

(Times of India)