Sri Lanka is celebrating the Buddhist festival of Vesak, which commemorates the birth, enlightenment and death of Lord Buddha, its founder.
The government has declared May 3 and 4 as Vesak days and the period from April 30 to May 6 as Vesak Week, reports the Colombo Page web site.
The Vesak Festival this year is being held at the Mahiyangana Raja Maha Viharaya in Badulla District on Sunday under the patronage of President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe. It will be held under the theme "Cultivate Compassion".
Many religious programs have been organized at the venue and at other temples across the country to mark the occasion.
The government issued three stamps to mark the Vesak Poya. Another stamp is to be issued at the state Vesak festival on Monday, the state-run radio said.