India's Modi praises close Sri Lanka ties at holy tree

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid homage to Sri Lanka's ineffable Buddhist histrion connected Sunday earlier wrapping up a authorities sojourn during which helium secured defence and vigor deals.

Modi offered flowers to the Sri Maha Bodhi, an entity of worship and a awesome of sovereignty for the Buddhist-majority island, successful the pilgrim metropolis of Anuradhapura.

The tightly-guarded fig histrion is believed to person grown from a sapling of the histrion successful India nether which the Buddha is said to person attained enlightenment implicit 2,500 years ago.

The Hindu-nationalist Indian premier besides worshipped and offered robes to the histrion during a erstwhile sojourn successful 2015, underscoring its spiritual and taste value to some nations.

The tree, botanical sanction ficus religiosa, is worshipped regular by thousands arsenic a awesome of the "living Buddha", its branches propped up by gold-plated robust supports.

The histrion is guarded astir the timepiece by monks, police, and equipped troops.

"This sojourn has reaffirmed the heavy cultural, spiritual and civilisational ties betwixt our 2 nations," Modi said connected societal media, earlier returning to India.

On Saturday, Modi and Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake oversaw the signing of 7 agreements including connected defence and energy.

Dissanayake rolled retired the reddish carpet for Modi and conferred connected him the country's highest civilian honour for "the heavy idiosyncratic friendship" shown to Sri Lanka.

Modi's sojourn is seen arsenic a strategical determination to antagonistic rival China's increasing power successful the region.

"We judge that our information interests are aligned," Modi said Saturday.

"Our information is interdependent and interconnected."

Dissanayake said helium had assured Modi that Sri Lankan territory "will not beryllium allowed to beryllium utilized by anyone to undermine India's security".

aj/pjm/dhc