Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake visited and offered prayers at a UNESCO World Heritage site in India.

After arriving at Gaya International Airport on Tuesday, December 17, Dissanayake went directly to the 1,500-year-old Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya, Bihar. The temple is one of four holy sites linked to the life of Lord Buddha.

Dissanayake was welcomed by Bihar Ministers Prem Kumar and Santosh Kumar Suman, along with senior district officials.

The president prayed and laid flowers under the sacred Bodhi Tree, believed to be a direct descendant of the original tree under which Buddha achieved enlightenment.

He was accompanied by Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath, Labour Minister Anil Jayantha Fernando, Gaya District Magistrate Thiyagarajan SM, and Mahashweta Maharathi, Secretary of the Bodhgaya Temple Management Committee (BTMC).

He also explored other significant locations within the temple complex.

Dissanayake is on a three-day state visit to India. He arrived in Delhi on Sunday and met with President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday.

This is Dissanayake's first official foreign trip since being elected president in September.