Wednesday Nov 19, 2008
KANDY: President Mahinda Rajapaksa celebrated his 63rd birthday yesterday by visiting the Sri Dalada Maligawa and paying homage to the Sacred Tooth Relic and receiving its blessings in the morning.

The all night pirith pinkama held at President’s House, Kandy to mark the dual occasions of the President’s birthday and his completion of three years as Executive President concluded with a sanghika dana at the venue yesterday

Members of the Hindu, Christian and Muslim clergy also called on the President at the President’s House, Kandy yesterday morning and invoked blessings on him.

Speaking on the occasion, Mowlavi Al Haj N.F. Fazrul of the Kandy Jamiyathul Ulama Muslim Clergy Organisation described President Rajapaksa as an exemplary leader who can work in co-operation with people of all political hues and religious denominations.

He commended the President’s efforts to wean the youth away from the drug and smoking habit through his Mathata Thitha programme.

He said the President had the courage and strength to wipe out terrorism and steer the country towards progress and prosperity and added that the blessings of the whole nation were with him to succeed in this task.