<span style="color: #222222;">Sri Lanka has declared a National Vesak week from today to mark the Vesak celebrations, one of the most significant events for Buddhist followers.</span><br />'' <br />''<span style="color: #222222;">The festival will be held under tight security and people have been encouraged to organize celebrations at Buddhist temples and not in public places in the wake of Easter Sunday attacks last month. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The state Vesak festival will be held in Galle under the patronage of the President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe on Friday and Saturday.</span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> The Chief Prelates of four Buddhist chapters have requested the public to give priority to spiritual practices and not to conduct public celebrations that draw crowd due to the present security situation in the country. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The Prime Minister has assured that the government, the security forces and police will extend unqualified support to the people to celebrate the festival. The country faced violence against Muslim minority at several places on Monday and night curfew continues in affected areas. Hate crimes have been on the rise against Muslims following Easter Sunday attacks which killed over 250 people, including 45 foreigners. </span><br />''  <br />