Colombo: In the wake of coronavirus outbreak, Sri Lanka has announced that they will bring back some 1,200 Buddhist pilgrims from India. The Foreign Relations Ministry said that the High Commission in New Delhi and the Deputy High Commission in Chennai, in consultation with the Foreign Relations and the Buddha Sasana Ministries are effectively coordinating and facilitating the arrangements for the early return of Sri Lankan Buddhist pilgrims currently in India. It said these measures come in the wake of the travel and other restrictions that have arisen due to the rapidly spreading Covid-19. “According to the information gathered by the diplomatic missions, there are approximately 1,200 Sri Lankan Buddhist pilgrims belonging to 22 tour groups currently in India. These pilgrims had arrived in India before the Government of Sri Lanka suspended Dambadiva pilgrimages on 09 March 2020,” the ministry said. “However, these numbers, secured by contacting Sri Lankan Buddhist temples in India and tour groups themselves, may have some duplication in certain instances, given that some tour groups are on the move.