The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Paris in collaboration with the Mayor and Staff of the City Hall of the City of Gretz-Armainvilliers, organized the Annual World Cultural Day Celebrations of the Island Nations of the Indian Ocean on 09 and 10 March 2019.
The celebrations commenced in the morning of 09 March when Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to France Buddhi K. Athauda opened the event with the planting of a Eucalyptus plant at the Botanical Garden of Gretz-Armainvilliers. Following the tree planting, Ambassador Athauda appreciated the Mayor Jean-Paul Garcia and his office for inviting Sri Lanka to be the Guest of Honour at the event and emphasized on the growth and consumption of similar herbal plants in Sri Lanka for generations as herbal treatments. During the friendly exchange that ensued, the Deputy Mayor Christian Bourdeille expressed their interest to establish cooperation with the experts of horticulture in Sri Lanka and also a prospective cooperation between the botanical gardens in Sri Lanka and Gretz Armainvilliers.
During the event, a lecture was delivered about the history of the French Navy’s presence in the Indian Ocean which was followed by a lunch hosted by the Embassy of Sri Lanka presenting Sri Lankan traditional cuisine. Sri Lankan handicrafts, spices and traditional products were also displayed for the public and a tea stand was set up for the public to enjoy Ceylon Tea.
The event continued on 10 March with a speech delivered in French on the Sri Lankan history and Culture by an eminent scholar, Prof. C Bopearachchi. A video presentation was also done on the tourism industry of Sri Lanka. The event successfully concluded with a cultural show by Sri Lankan performers, which included various forms of traditional dances and Sri Lankan classical and contemporary music which added vibrancy to the event.
