Ceylon Radio
Athula Dassana International Buddhist temple held their food festival successfully at the Heston Primary School, Heston, TW5 0RL on Saturday 13th of December 2014. This day was special as not only for all Sri Lankans but also other communities. Devotees and other members of the community could remember the past event of food festivals of the last years organised by this temple under the guidance of the head of the temple Ven. Wanduramba Kassapa Thero.
The food festival is a celebration of the different tastes of the community, which supports Sri Lankan traditional foods. Ven. Wanduraba Kassapa Thero, who explained the aim of the food festival as fund raising event to build the New Athula Dassana Temple in Hanworth Hounslow.
Ven.Wanduraba Kassapa Thero and all the children who participated the event, lit the traditional oil lamp.
“Asha catering services” gave an excellent support for success of the event and they really made the event special with wonderful food. Dimuthu Thilakarathne with his band presented a fantastic music during the ‘ Peduru Sajje’. And people had a great chance to enjoy the music, which added to the events specialness.
We had a great selection of traditional Sri Lankan foods. It was a buffet with also Japanese cuisine. Visitors also had an opportunity to buy all of the foods, drinks and also Sri Lankan batik cloths and crafts on offer price, as they wish. At the last part of the festival there was raffle and all had a chance to enter. The winners took home some valuable prizes.
More than 250 visitors came to the food festival to taste the Sri Lankan food and music on offer. The devotees of the temple and sponsors gave a great support for the success of the event.
The temple opened on the 7th July 2011 and the temple has held a number of various religious, cultural and social services within three years period. In 2012 the temple held its first experience of food festival.
During the temple’s active period, it has done many social and community services. This has helped to improve the social well-being of the local community as well as helped to raise much needed funds to maintain the temple and its progress.
Pictures by Asanka Hemachandra & Report by E M P S Ekanayaka
