A large number of devotees, including Mr. Neville De Silva, Deputy High Commissioner of Sri Lanka and Mrs. De Silva, attended the special puja held to felicitate Ven. Tawalama Bandula on his birthday on 2nd June 2013. Most Venerable Seelawimala Nayaka Thera, Head of the London Buddhist Vihara, explained the importance of the event and administered the precepts. Ven. Akurala Samitha, Head of the Letchworth Dhammaniketanaya, conducted the puja. Ven. Makure Mangala, Head of the Lumbini Vihara, East Ham and Venerable monks chanted paritta to bestow blessings upon Ven. Bandula. Ven. Dedunupitiye Upananda, from Cambridge University, gave a sermon fitting to the occasion. At the request of Venerable Bandula, devotees, well-wishers and friends made monetary offerings towards a very deserving charity. £2,015.00 was collected and given to THE RAHULA TRUST which was started in 1998 to support the poor children with their education in developing countries. (www.rahula-trust.org <http://www.rahula-trust.org/> )
