Sri Lanka: Jaffna to celebrate Mahatma Gandhi's 150th birthday

The capital city of the northern province of Sri Lanka, Jaffna, has geared up to commemorate the 150th birthday of India's father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi on October 2, in what is being termed as an elaborate and an extravagant arrangement by the Indian embassy. 

An Indian connection

The event will be a collaboration between a local organization, Gandhi Seva Samaj and the Indian embassy. A top official in the Indian consulate stated that it would be a day-long event on the Mahatma's birthday. 

The official added that in addition to the planned event, the Mahatma's statues in Mullaitivu, Kilinochchi, and Jaffna will be showered with garlands. Also, the celebration will include interactive sittings alongside an essay writing competition on the man who was instrumental in helping India gain its freedom. 

Read: Mahatma Gandhi's 150th Anniversary: Grand Sabarmati Memorial On Anvil

According to reports, Mahatma Gandhi and Jaffna have a connection dating back to 1927. Gandhi had visited the city and stayed at the Jaffna house that now been revamped by a prominent architect by the name of Anjalendran. 

In the Batticaloa, a city in the eastern province of Sri Lanka, a statue of Gandhi has been established in a park alongside the waterfront view of the town that has been named after the Mahatma. 

Read: Bengal Schools To Observe Gandhi Jayanti, Holiday Cancelled

A British connection

In other parts of the world, London is all geared up to celebrate Gandhi's 150th birthday. His "legal" connect will be taken as one of the pointers for the upcoming celebrations in the capital city of Britain. The celebrations will witness a seminar on the teachings and values of the Mahatma, which will be organized by the Gandhian Forum for Ethical Corporate Governance. 

Besides the usual celebratory ceremonies that take place near the Gandhi statues at the Tavistock and Parliament Square, there are talks to mark the 150th anniversary with a Vegetarian food festival to remember Gandhi's search for a vegetarian restaurant when he came to London in the year 1888. 

Gandhi's gift to the world

Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, inaugurated the Gandhi Solar Park with 193 solar panels at the United Nations HQ in New York to commemorate the 150th birthday of Mahatma Gandhi and to portray India as a leader in terms of renewable energy.

Read: When Gandhi Was Denied Entry Into A Temple Over His England Visit

Read: Gandhi Jayanti: Hundreds Of Prisoners To Be Released On October 2