Colombo, Feb 17 (IANS): The 2025 'Sripalee Mela', celebrating the people-to-people contact and cultural ties between India and Sri Lanka, concluded in Horana, a town in the Kalutara district of Western Province of Sri Lanka, on Monday.
India's High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha, Sri Lankan Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs Sunil Watagala and former Member of Parliament Patali Champika Ranawaka graced the closing ceremony of the festival as special guests. In his speech, High Commissioner Jha highlighted the historic ties between India and Sri Lanka.
"During his remarks, the High Commissioner highlighted that Sripalee College is a testament of India-Sri Lanka people to people connect. It stands as a symbol of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore's vision, nurturing creativity and strengthening India and Sri Lanka cultural bonds," stated a post on X by the High Commission of India in Sri Lanka.
Sripalee College has a longstanding linkage with India. The foundation stone of the College was laid by Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore in 1934 on the invitation of Wilmot A. Perera, the founder of the college.
Tagore visited Sri Lanka three times - in 1922, 1928, and 1934 - and all of his visits left a lasting impact on Lankan culture. The legacy of Rabindranath Tagore left a deep imprint on Sri Lankan culture, art, music, literature and education.
Sharing a strong civilisational and historical connect, the cultural bond stands as one of the strongest pillars in India-Sri Lanka relations.
In December 2024, Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Disanayaka visited India on his first foreign visit after assuming office.
During his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it was reaffirmed that the India-Sri Lanka bilateral partnership is underpinned by deep-rooted cultural and civilisational ties, geographical proximity and the people-to-people relations. Both leaders acknowledged the need to further promote cultural and tourism links between the two countries.
"The people-to-people ties between India and Sri Lanka are rooted in our civilizations. When India declared the Pali language as a Classical Language, Sri Lanka joined us in this celebration," PM Modi stated during the meeting.