Print this page

National oil anointing ceremony today

April 16, 2018

The national oil anointing ceremony will take place today (16th) at 10.16 am at Attanagalla Purana Raja Maha Viharaya, under the patronage of Speaker Karu Jayasuriya and Health Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne. Oil anointing to wish for long life is one of the key traditions of the Sinhala and Tamil New Year.

According to the traditional custom, the oil anointing is done dressed in white clothes and facing the North. The ceremony is jointly organized by the Health Ministry, Indigenous Medicine Ministry and the Department of Ayurveda. Oil anointing ceremonies have also been organized at rural level by the Ayurvedic Department.

The main objective of the festival is to promote health and to wish the people a long life.