Deputy High Commissioner of Sri Lanka Dr. Ganesanathan Geathiswaran was invited as the Chief Guest to flag off the first ever cross country cycling expedition “Sail and Ride – Tour of Jaffna” by Team Bison on 02.04.2026 at Nagapattinam. Mr. Ganesh Kannan, Captain of Team Bison was joined by 40 cycling enthusiasts who are also business tycoons, entrepreneurs and doctors, left Nagapattinam port by ferry to Jaffna to continue their cycling quest across Sri Lanka covering 225 kms. One of the cyclist, Mr. Srinath Rajam, Director-TVS Mobility Group expressed his interest in setting up a Tyre Factory in Jaffna. In the spirit of Religious Diplomacy, Deputy High Commissioner of Sri Lanka, Dr. Ganesanathan Geathiswaran, paid his respects at the Shrine Basilica of Our Lady of Health in Velankanni and the Hazrat Syed Shahul Hameed Dargah in Nagore. The Deputy High Commissioner offered prayers at both sites to further enhance diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and South India. The Deputy High Commissioner held discussions with the Rector, Very Rev. Fr. C. Irudhayaraj, Velankanni Shrine. The Rector requested improved infrastructure for Indian pilgrims attending the Kachchatheevu festival, specifically requesting more temporary shelters and sanitation facilities to accommodate the growing number of Indian devotees visiting Kachchatheevu. The Deputy High Commissioner met Syed Mohaned Khazi Hussain Sahib, Managing Trustee of Nagore Dargah.
