A massive offering of 25,000 fruits to deities had taken place at a Buddhist place of worship in the Balapitiya area to invoke blessings on the country to overcome the COVID19 pandemic.

Sri Lanka has a long history of making offerings to deities in order to invoke blessings on the country and its people.

However, the move has been widely criticized on social media as tens of thousands of people in isolated areas in the Colombo district are withot food. The offering had taken place under the guidance of a senior Buddhist monk in the area, local reporters said.

Many people in housing schemes in lockdown areas staged protests yesterday demanding food or financial assistance as their income had taken a severe beating due to the prolonged lockdown.

"Why couldn't they give this food to people who are stuck in their houses?" a number of observers questioned on social media criticising the conduct of the organisers.

The offering also took place against a backdrop where health authorities have instructed religious places to avoid gatherings.