Buddha Statue Reinstalled in Trincomalee

18-Nov-2025

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Tension has once again arisen within the premises of the Sri Sambuddha Jayanthi Bodhiraja Viharaya, located in the Trincomalee coastal area. 

Police personnel have been deployed and security has been strengthened in the vicinity. Amid this situation, a Buddha statue has again been installed inside the Vihara premises.

Construction of a new place of worship adjacent to the existing Buddha statue—already positioned next to a sacred banyan tree under the authority of the Trincomalee Municipal Council—began at midnight on November 16. When officials of the Coast Conservation and Coastal Resources Management Department inspected the location, a dispute arose between them and the resident monks.

Based on the complaint lodged by the department at the Trincomalee Harbour Police Station, the police instructed that all construction activities be temporarily halted. Ignoring the directive, arrangements were made that night to place the Buddha statue. 

When police arrived and attempted to stop the installation, a confrontation erupted between the monks and the officers. The police then removed the statue, bringing the tense situation under partial control.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Public Security, Ananda Wijepala, informed Parliament that the statue had been removed purely for security reasons and that it would be reinstalled at the same location today. The Buddha statue has now been placed back at the site.