High Commissioner of India, Santosh Jha, visited the Udappuwa village during his visit to Puttalam District on Tuesday (17), during which he paid respects at the Udappuwa Sri Parthasarathy Temple and interacted with the people of the village.
According to the Indian High Commission in Colombo, the residents of this Udappuwa village trace their roots to Akkamadam and Thangachimadam in Rameshwaram in Southern India.
During the interaction with the Indian High Commissioner, the residents conveyed that their ancestors came to Sri Lanka in the 17th century and settled down in the region. They highlighted that they have preserved their distinctive traditions and customs to date, which include worship of Sri Draupadi Amman and a fire walking ritual on the temple premises during an annual festival.
High Commissioner Santosh Jha highlighted that the residents of Udappuwa represent a distinctive facet of the deep people-to-people links spanning centuries between the two countries.
He informed them of the initiatives being undertaken by the Government of India in coordination with the Government of Sri Lanka to restore connectivity and strengthen healthcare in Puttalam as part of the USD 450 million post-Ditwah rehabilitation package being implemented by India across the country.
He further reaffirmed India’s commitment to continue to stand firmly with Sri Lanka in support of the progress of all Sri Lankans, including Indian Origin Tamils, across the Island. (Newswire)