Sri Lanka, April 17 -- Sri Lankan Ambassador to the United States Mahinda Samarasinghe says that Sinhala New Year rituals, a cornerstone of the country's cultural identity, have been preserved for thousands of years with Buddhist temples at their center and the guidance of Buddhist monks playing a significant historical role.

He said that, at various points in history, different forces had attempted to distance society from the long-standing Sinhala Buddhist cultural traditions.

The Ambassador made these remarks while attending the New Year Bakmaha Festival held on April 12 at the Maryland International Buddhist Temple.

He further highlighted that New Year rituals remain a valuable heritage of Sinhala culture, contributing to a peacefu...