India only helped spread Buddhism around the world over 2500 years ago, but it has also introduced a number of projects over the years to enable Buddhists from all over the world visiting India to have memorable and devout pilgrimages.
Although Buddha’s birthplace is in elegant Nepal, it was India that played a vital role in sending his scholars to spread Buddhism in Tibet, China, Japan, and Southeast Asia through Sri Lanka.
In keeping with this tradition, especially in the recent past, India has undertaken various efforts to get Buddhists to stop at pilgrimage sites and many other places of worship and attractions in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Haryana.
As far as bilateral relations are concerned, Sri Lanka has a strong and unbreakable bond with India. For many Sri Lankans, even today, India’s greatest and most valuable gift is Buddhism.
Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from Sri Lanka stop at Buddhist sites in northern India every year. Sarnath is gaining prominence as the position where Buddha taught his first sermon after attaining Enlightenment in Bodh Gaya.
Sarnath is 10 kilometers northeast of Varanasi, near the confluence of the Ganges and Varuna rivers in Uttar Pradesh, India.
Kushinara and Bodhgaya are two other places of wonderful importance for Buddhist pilgrims. Kushinara is the position where Buddha attained Parinirvana, and Bodhgaya is the position where Buddha attained Enlightenment. Both are places of pilgrimage for Buddhists from all over the world.
These sites also have wonderful architectural value, with many monuments and temples reflecting the culture and history of Buddhism in this region. Buddhist priests in many countries offer these sites to offer prayers and gain non-secular knowledge.
Earlier this year, the Indian Railways and Catering Corporation designed a state-of-the-art program to facilitate Buddhist pilgrimages through a non-secular exercise trip. This will be a great encouragement for Sri Lankan pilgrims visiting India.
The program facilitates the journey of pilgrims from Sri Lanka to India by offering them a convenient means of transportation. It also gives them the opportunity to revel in the non-secular and devout facets of the pilgrimage in a unique and meaningful way.
The tour included destinations like Mathura, Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, Jaipur, Pushkar, Udaipur and Ajmer. The pilgrims discovered the culture and heritage of those peoples and enjoyed the journey.
The eight-day trip costs 75,075 Indian rupees, which includes hotel stays in New Delhi before and after, as well as Nepalese visa fees.
The package will cover all major cultural centers and Buddhist devotees in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Nepal. Tourists will be accompanied by experienced guides during the trip.
Hotel accommodation, all meals, air-conditioned road shipping to tourist sites, a stopover at the Taj Mahal, Nepali visa access service in Lumbini and comprehensive insurance are included.
It is encouraging to see that India is very interested in welcoming Buddhist pilgrims and developing ancient Buddhism for their benefit.
In another desirable solidarity move, an organization of 108 Buddhist pilgrims from South Korea embarked on a 1,167 km trek to follow in the footsteps of Lord Buddha in India. The march, which began on Feb. 9, will end in 43 days.
The pilgrimage will mark 50 years of diplomatic relations between India and South Korea and aims at friendship and collaboration between the two countries.
According to the pilgrimage program, tourists will visit several Buddhist sites in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar before heading to Nepal, to Buddha’s birthplace in Lumbini.
Just a few years ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Kushinagar International Airport, which was built as part of efforts to unite Buddhist pilgrimage sites.
Kushinagar International Airport opened on October 20, 2021 with the inaugural landing flight from Colombo, whose passengers come with an organization of renowned Buddhist monks.
“The promotion and preservation of Buddhist holy places is and has been carried out many projects through the Indian government under the sensible leadership of Narendra Modi. I am convinced that the preservation of the sacred places of Buddhism will bring concord to the whole world,” the monk said.
Tibetan non-secular leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who has made India his homeland, inaugurated the “Bhikkhu International Exchange Program in Pali and Sanskrit 2022-27” at the Watpa Temple in Bodh Gaya in December last year.
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