Hyderabad Tourism Minister V Srinivas Goud has requested Sri Lankan Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardhana to operate daily flights to Hyderabad for the convenience of tourists visiting Buddhist spots in Telangana.
During his visit to Sri Lanka, Goud met with Gunawardhana to discuss the efforts being made to develop Buddhism in Telangana. Gunawardhana praised the State government’s initiatives and acknowledged the historical importance of Buddhism in the region.
Goud also highlighted the preservation efforts for ancient Buddhist sites in Telangana, such as Kotilingala, BadamKurti, Fanigiri, Nagarjuna Konda, and Nelakondapalli. He mentioned the Buddhavanam project, a 200-acre site in Vijayapuri (Nagarjunasagar), which was built with international standards and cost Rs 100 crore.
Goud urged the Prime Minister to provide daily flights from Sri Lanka to Hyderabad to facilitate Buddhist spiritual tourism. Gunawardhana responded positively and expressed his willingness to enhance Buddhist spiritual and cultural relations between Lanka and Telangana.
During the meeting, Gunawardhana also mentioned that his daughter-in-law had written a book on the history of Hyderabad in the Sinhala language, which will soon be released in Telugu and English.
Various other dignitaries, including Yadamini Gunawardhana, MP of Lanka’s Western Province, and representatives from the National Government and Light of Asia organization, were present at the meeting.
