Sri Lanka celebrating its 62nd Independence Day today. It assumes a special significance as it is the first Independence Day celebration after the end of thirty year old ethnic conflict and soon after President Mahinda Rajapaksa was re-elected with an overwhelming mandate.The Independence Day celebrations will take place in the hill town of Kandy near the precincts of Dalada Maligawa Buddhist temple. Military parades and cultural pageants with 2,000 security forces personnel and 1,200 artistes will mark the occasion. Around 4000 school children will also present special programme in the function.The Independence Day State function will start with the hoisting of the national flag by President Rajapaksa at 8.50 a.m. followed by the national anthem.Two minutes silence will be observed at 9.07 a.m. to honour patriots who had laid down their lives to protect and preserve freedom and the territorial integrity of the country. This will be followed by a 21 gun salute to President Rajapaksa.Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake, Speaker, Chief Justice and Judges, Ministers, Parliamentarians, Diplomatic Corps, Chief of Defence Staff, and Commanders of the Armed Forces and the IGP will be present on the occasion.