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Buddha's relics to go on public display in India

PATNA, India, Friday (AFP) The relics of the Buddha will go on public display in this northeastern Indian city from Friday, the anniversary of his birth 2,547 years ago, officials said.

Visitors to the Patna Museum will pay 100 rupees (about two dollars) for the privilege of being able to view the priceless Buddhist relic in a specially designed room, museum director Madhuri Aggrawal told reporters Thursday.

"The state government has cleared the proposal to charge 100 rupees from each visitor to see the casket containing the relics of Lord Buddha," she said.

In the past, tourists could view the relics only after obtaining special permission, which involved a long and complicated procedure. Because the relics are priceless, the museum authorities had been reluctant to display them fearing theft or destruction.

"The room accommodating the relics has been specially lighted and high security has been provided," Aggrawal said. The Buddha relics were briefly opened for public view on January 12 this year on the occasion of the Tibetan Kalchakra Puja, which attracted hordes of visitors.

The relics were found during the 1958-1962 excavation by noted archaeologist A.S. Altekar of a Buddhist monastery at Vaishaligarh, 35 kilometers (22 miles) from Patna, capital of Bihar state.

"The relics of Lord Buddha were found in a casket made of a stone along with a gold plate, zinc coin and glass beads," Aggrawal said. The relics have been authenticated by archaeologists and are considered priceless. Various Buddhist organizations have objected to the keeping of the heritage in the museum and have instead proposed the creation of a special memorial in the Mahaboddhi Temple, at Bodhgaya - also in Bihar - where the Buddha gained enlightenment.

The Bihar government has however ruled that the museum is the safest place to store the relic.

"The state government has taken a decision to keep the (relics) in the museum considering its historical and religious importance," said state tourism minister Ashok Kumar Singh.

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