Buddhist monk desecrates Hindu statues

A Buddhist monk and three of his associates broke into a Hindu temple in Sri Lankan capital Colombo in the middle of the night and desecrated the temple by climbing on the Kopuram and destroying devotional statues.

The monk and his group got into the Sri Muththumariamman Hindu temple at De Mel Mawatte in Grand Pass, Colombo during the early hours of Wednesday, September 5. Climbing on to the roof they defaced and damaged the newly built Sivalingham and statuses of Amman and Vishnu.

On Tuesday, the consecration (Kumpaapisheakam) ceremony was held in which hundreds of devotees took part. During the night that followed, the Buddhist monk and three of his associates got into the temple through the roof and smashed devotional statues.

Colombo Additional Magistrate Ajith Anawaratne Wednesday ordered to remand the Chief Incumbent of Grandpass de Mel Watte Buddhagaya Viharaya, Sri Sapugasyaye Dhammanada Thero and three of his associates for destroying the adjoining Sri Muththumariamman Hindu temple.

The Sri Muththumariamman temple is located in highly Muslim populated Khettarama in Grandpass.