-By Special Military Correspondent
(Lanka-e-News -01.May.2025, 11.10 PM) Amid the golden glow of faith and tradition, the Sri Lankan Armed Forces demonstrated not only operational excellence but also profound spiritual sensitivity during the historic public exposition of the Sacred Tooth Relic—Sri Dalada Wandanawa—held in Kandy from April 18 to 27, 2025.
After a 16-year hiatus, millions of Buddhists from around the world had the rare opportunity to venerate the Sacred Tooth Relic, regarded as the living presence of the Buddha. This national spiritual moment was supported, protected, and facilitated by Sri Lanka’s tri-forces, with the Army leading from the front.
From the Army Commander Lieutenant General Lasantha Rodrigo down to the most junior soldiers, members of the military presented themselves as guardians of both physical and spiritual peace. Notably, both Lt. Gen. Lasantha Rodrigo and the event's lead coordinator Brigadier Rohan Wettasinghe are devout Christians—yet their devotion to safeguarding Buddhist heritage was exemplary.
Photos emerged of Lt. Gen. Lasantha Rodrigo bowing with reverence before the Sacred Relic—an image symbolizing religious harmony and military humility. Despite not being Buddhist, both officers led their troops in a mission deeply rooted in Buddhist devotion. The Cardinal of Colombo, His Eminence Malcolm Ranjith, hailed their actions as a beacon of interfaith harmony.
The Sri Lankan Army was tasked with a complex dual role: ensuring national security and safeguarding the centuries-old architecture and spiritual sanctity of the Dalada Maligawa (Temple of the Tooth). Military engineers and support units worked round the clock to establish secured ingress and egress routes, while respecting the ancient spatial integrity of the temple complex.
This was no ordinary security mission. Every structure, stone, and pathway within the ancient temple required protective oversight. In addition, the Army assumed the enormous logistical challenge of managing crowd control for the unprecedented influx of pilgrims—numbering in the hundreds of thousands—without incident or disruption.
What made this operation stand out wasn’t just the security. In temporary tent cities set up around Kandy, Army chefs and logistics personnel prepared and distributed thousands of meals per day to pilgrims. These open-air dining halls were equipped with tables, chairs, and hygienic facilities—an extraordinary sight that drew praise from the public and clergy alike.
In scenes of quiet heroism, soldiers gently carried the elderly and disabled across temple courtyards, helping them fulfill lifelong dreams of paying homage to the Sacred Relic. Observers noted the transformation of the Army from a war-fighting machine to a force of compassion, humility, and service.
“This was perhaps only the second time since the end of the war that the public witnessed the Sri Lankan Army engage with such deep human sensitivity,” remarked a senior monk from the Malwathu chapter. “They were not soldiers—they were sons of the soil serving the sacred.”
At the close of the event, Lt. Gen. Lasantha Rodrigo hosted a heartfelt thanksgiving ceremony at Dharmaraja College grounds in Kandy. In his address, he acknowledged every soldier, officer, and civilian staffer attached to the Army for their patience, discipline, and deeply humane conduct.
“I am immensely proud,” said the General. “This mission was not just a security operation—it was a spiritual obligation, and you fulfilled it with grace.” He urged his troops to carry forward the same spirit of compassion in future deployments, whether in peacekeeping, disaster relief, or ceremonial duties.
A key figure in the successful execution of this sacred operation was Brigadier Rohan Wettasinghe, a former Area Commander of Kandy from 2007 to 2014. With a near-encyclopedic understanding of the Dalada Maligawa’s customs and security requirements, he was entrusted with overall military coordination for the event. His prior service record, which includes securing the Dalada Perahera during volatile years, ensured that the operation was both seamless and respectful of cultural nuances.
His Christian faith did not deter but rather deepened his commitment to preserving Sri Lanka’s Buddhist heritage. Observers noted the deep reverence with which he approached his duties, setting a standard for religious inclusivity in the armed services.
The 2025 Dalada exposition, underpinned by a formidable yet compassionate military presence, became a powerful testament to Sri Lanka’s multi-religious fabric. The cooperation between the armed forces, the Buddhist clergy, and civil authorities was a model of unity in diversity.
Indeed, in a world increasingly fractured by religious divisions, Sri Lanka’s military offered a lesson in coexistence—not by grand declarations, but through silent reverence and dignified action. Their service was not limited to the defense of territory—it extended to the defense of faith, heritage, and collective national identity.
As the scent of sandalwood faded and the temple gates closed, what lingered was the memory of a military that served not just with arms, but with open hearts. Whether Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, or Muslim—soldiers of the Sri Lankan Army stood shoulder to shoulder in service of a sacred trust, earning not just strategic victories but the spiritual admiration of an entire nation.
-By Special Military Correspondent
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by (2025-05-01 17:49:42)
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