Over 1.5 million devotees expected to visit Anuradhapura for Poson Festival

Final preparations are underway for the National Poson Festival, with authorities expecting between 1.5 million and 1.7 million devotees to visit the sacred city of Anuradhapura during the Poson holiday.The national celebrations will be centred at the sacred sites of Mihintale, the Anuradhapura Atamasthana and the Thanthirimale Raja Maha Viharaya, where extensive arrangements have been made to accommodate the large influx of pilgrims.Since this year's Poson festival falls at the end of a long weekend, thousands of devotees have already begun arriving in Anuradhapura to participate in religious observances marking the introduction of Buddhism to Sri Lanka.Meanwhile, Acting Atamasthana Adhipathi Ven. Eethalawetunuwewe Gnanathilaka Thero urged pilgrims to help protect the sacred city by preserving its archaeological heritage, trees and natural environment, while refraining from littering.The Poson Committee has also appealed to visitors to dispose of waste responsibly to help maintain the cleanliness of the pilgrimage sites. In support of the initiative, Manusath Derana, together with several partner organizations, has launched a waste management programme, distributing bags to pilgrims for the proper separation of biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste.Security has been beefed up for the festival, with North Central Province Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police Thilak C. A. Dhanapala stating that more than 3,500 police personnel, including 3,180 uniformed officers, have been deployed across the Poson zone.Police have advised devotees not to carry large bags or helmets into places of worship and to use only designated bathing areas supervised by life-saving personnel, with 320 officers deployed to ensure the safety of pilgrims throughout the festival.