More than 10 Cabinet Ministers, several State Ministers, MPs cutting across party lines, senior officials, industry and media leaders attended the Republic Day reception hosted by High Commissioner Gopal Baglay at India House in Colombo
Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa was the Chief Guest, and Foreign Minister Professor. G.L. Peiris graced the occasion as the Guest of Honor. Special guests included former President Maithripala Sirisena and Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena.
The High Commission also held a magnificent cultural show to mark the occasion.
It started with salutary tributes to Rabindranath Tagore at Colombo University, followed by a glorious and traditional program organized at the High Commission's Swami Vivekananda Cultural Center.
Aru Sri Theater performed a unique dance ensemble conceived and choreographed by Deshanethru Dr. Arunthathy Sri Ranganathan. Titled 'Narthana Bandham,' the dance was choreographed, blending the best Indian and Sri Lankan dance forms.
The Army Band of Sri Lanka played melodious tunes from India and Sri Lanka during the event.
The High Commission also held an event at the Ratmalana Param Dhamma Chaitya Pirivena. Maha Sangha offered prayers to The Buddha for his blessings.
India is Sri Lanka's 2nd largest trading partner, with business reaching about USD 3.6 billion in 2020. Incidentally, India is also among the most significant contributors to Foreign Direct Investment in Sri Lanka.