Buddhist monks began a week-long “Walk for Peace” across Sri Lanka on Wednesday (April 22).

Organisers said the walk aims to promote peace and mindfulness in line with Buddhist teachings and to highlight Sri Lanka’s Buddhist heritage.

U.S.-based Vietnamese monk Pannakara Thero led the walk, which included local and foreign Buddhist priests as well as a rescued stray dog named Aloka.

The walk started from a historic cave temple in Dambulla, about 160 km (99 miles) north of the capital, Colombo. The 225-km (140-mile) journey will end at Independence Square in Colombo, where President Anura Kumara Dissanayake is expected to welcome them.

On Tuesday (April 21), Pannakara Thero held a religious ceremony in Anuradhapura and carried a sapling from a sacred Bo tree, which he plans to plant in the United States as a symbol of peace.

The Walk for Peace started in October 2025 when Pannakara Thero led monks on a 109-day walk from the U.S. state of Texas to Washington D.C. to raise awareness of peace and mindfulness across America and the world.

(Production: Waruna Karunatilake, Keval Singh)

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

BUDDHIST MONKS WALKING / PEOPLE LINING WALKING ROUTE / PEACE WALK LEADER, PANNAKARA THERO, CARRYING SAPLING OF SACRED BO TREE / SOUNDBITE FROM THERO

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

SHOWS: DAMBULLA, SRI LANKA (APRIL 22, 2026) (DERANA TV - No use Sri Lanka)

1. DRUMMERS AND MUSICIANS PERFORMING WITH PEOPLE LINED ALONG ROUTE AS PEACE WALK STARTS

2. MONKS WALKING

3. LEADER OF PEACE WALK, PANNAKARA THERO, PRAYING WITH DOG "ALOKA" STANDING NEXT TO HIM

4. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WALKING

5. VARIOUS OF MONKS WALKING

6. (SOUNDBITE) (English) LEADER OF THE PEACE WALK, PANNAKARA THERO, SAYING:

"I want you to understand that when you take off your time from work, from families to come out here, it has to be worth it. And when you go home, when you've been here and when you go home, you have to bring something home. Which is peace and happiness. If you cannot bring peace and happiness home after you came out here, then that is not worth it for you to be here."

ANURADHAPURA, SRI LANKA (APRIL 21, 2026) (DERANA TV - No use Sri Lanka)

7. TRADITIONAL DRUMMERS PERFORMING DURING RELIGIOUS CEREMONY

8. VARIOUS OF PANNAKARA THERO CARRYING SAPLING OF SACRED BO TREE

9. VARIOUS OF BUDDHIST RELIGIOUS CEREMONY BEING PERFORMED

10. MONKS WALKING WHILE HOLDING CEREMONIAL FANS