BY THIRA L BHUSAL
KATHMANDU, May 14
Pilgrims and tourists will find one more attraction at Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha.
The sacred site will have a park with a monument of Little Buddha and three ponds will be constructed there. Likewise, there will be one structure to showcase Korean culture inside the park that spreads in 12 ropani land at the South Pond inside the Lumbini Master Plan.
The park is scheduled to be inaugurated on the occasion of Buddha Purnima (full moon night), is celebrated as the birth anniversary of Gautam Buddha. Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala is expected to lay the foundation stone on May 20.
The construction of the park will cost around 30 million rupees, according to Yeom Sun Jung, Director of Korea Cultural Center (KCC). The Lumbini Development Fund has given 18 months period to complete the construction of the whole park.
The project was initiated as a part of several activities to promote Buddha's birthplace, said members of KCC.
The group led by one of the most prominent religious leaders in Korea, Reverend Sun Mook Hye Ja, is providing support to the park construction project and has planned to bring in over 7,000 Buddhist religious leaders to Nepal from Korea within a few years, according to Saroj Khanal, Director of Sun Hype Peace Academy. The Academy, KCC, and Service for Peace headed by senior political leader Ram Hari Joshi have taken initiatives to construct the park and to arrange pilgrimage in the country with support of the religious leader Hye Ja.
A pilgrimage of 300 Buddhist monks led by Hye Ja arrived on a five-day visit to Nepal on February 23 in course of their visit to 108 Buddhist Temples of the world. Joshi headed the pilgrimage organizing committee. This was the beginning of the campaign in Nepal.
The park construction project was initiated by the group as requested by PM Koirala during a meeting with its members.
Likewise, another pilgrimage of 108 monks led by Hye Ja himself is arriving in Nepal for the Buddha anniversary. The pilgrims will visit Lumbini and several other Buddhist shrines in the country.
"We want to inform more and more Koreans that Lord Buddha was born at Lumbini in Nepal," Jung said. Many Koreans still think that Buddha was born in India, according to him.
"We want to give them true information about Buddha because Koreans greatly revere Gautam Buddha, but sadly have misconception about buddha's place of birth," he added.
Many Koreans visit Nepal to view the Himalayas and other natural sights because they do not know about Lumbini and its importance, he informed. "Once Koreans know that Nepal is Buddha's birthplace, majority of them will certainly not miss a visit to Lumbini," he said. He claimed that many Koreans have shown interest in visiting Lumbini after the Korean media gave good publicity of Lumbini during the "108 temple visit" pilgrimage last February.
KATHMANDU, May 14
Pilgrims and tourists will find one more attraction at Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha.
The sacred site will have a park with a monument of Little Buddha and three ponds will be constructed there. Likewise, there will be one structure to showcase Korean culture inside the park that spreads in 12 ropani land at the South Pond inside the Lumbini Master Plan.
The park is scheduled to be inaugurated on the occasion of Buddha Purnima (full moon night), is celebrated as the birth anniversary of Gautam Buddha. Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala is expected to lay the foundation stone on May 20.
The construction of the park will cost around 30 million rupees, according to Yeom Sun Jung, Director of Korea Cultural Center (KCC). The Lumbini Development Fund has given 18 months period to complete the construction of the whole park.
The project was initiated as a part of several activities to promote Buddha's birthplace, said members of KCC.
The group led by one of the most prominent religious leaders in Korea, Reverend Sun Mook Hye Ja, is providing support to the park construction project and has planned to bring in over 7,000 Buddhist religious leaders to Nepal from Korea within a few years, according to Saroj Khanal, Director of Sun Hype Peace Academy. The Academy, KCC, and Service for Peace headed by senior political leader Ram Hari Joshi have taken initiatives to construct the park and to arrange pilgrimage in the country with support of the religious leader Hye Ja.
A pilgrimage of 300 Buddhist monks led by Hye Ja arrived on a five-day visit to Nepal on February 23 in course of their visit to 108 Buddhist Temples of the world. Joshi headed the pilgrimage organizing committee. This was the beginning of the campaign in Nepal.
The park construction project was initiated by the group as requested by PM Koirala during a meeting with its members.
Likewise, another pilgrimage of 108 monks led by Hye Ja himself is arriving in Nepal for the Buddha anniversary. The pilgrims will visit Lumbini and several other Buddhist shrines in the country.
"We want to inform more and more Koreans that Lord Buddha was born at Lumbini in Nepal," Jung said. Many Koreans still think that Buddha was born in India, according to him.
"We want to give them true information about Buddha because Koreans greatly revere Gautam Buddha, but sadly have misconception about buddha's place of birth," he added.
Many Koreans visit Nepal to view the Himalayas and other natural sights because they do not know about Lumbini and its importance, he informed. "Once Koreans know that Nepal is Buddha's birthplace, majority of them will certainly not miss a visit to Lumbini," he said. He claimed that many Koreans have shown interest in visiting Lumbini after the Korean media gave good publicity of Lumbini during the "108 temple visit" pilgrimage last February.
1 comment:
Yes, I was also sick and tired of hearing about the misconception among the Indians. I hope that this landmark will flow more awareness on Nepal: as the birth place of Gautam Buddha. May Peace Prevail.
Post a Comment