General Kamal Gunaratne, the Defence Secretary as the Author of the Deegawapiya Aruna Trust and First Trustee of the Deegawapiya Stupa Restoration Board of Trustees, engaged in a field study tour at the historic Deegawapiya premises at Ampara and Neelagiri Maha Seya at Lahugala yesterday (May 30) and reviewed the progress.

Plans are in place to enshrine the Sacred Relics and Treasures in the hemispherical dome of ‘Deegawapiya Stupa’ on July 14. The newly constructed Pilgrims Rest and Shrine Hall are also to be opened on the same day. The review focused on monitoring the progress of the preparations and other restoration works being carried out in connection with Deegawapiya Stupa and Neelagiri Maha Saya sacred sites, providing technical advice to the project officers for speedy and effective completion of the construction, discussing the existing problems and carrying out the future work.

Commander of the Army Lt. Gen. Vikum Liyanage, Commander of the Air Force Air Marshal Udeni Rajapaksa, Security Force Commander (East) Maj. Gen. Shewanth Kulatunge, Military Liaison Officer of the Ministry of Defence Maj. Gen. Dammika Welagedara, Commander South Eastern Naval Area Rear Admiral Thushara Karunathunga, Director of Architectural Conservation of the Department of Archaeology Prasanna B. Ratnayake, Col. Mohan Kumar and several members of the Technical Committee were also present at the occasion.