Gaya Buddhist ceremony ends

The three-day Buddha Mahotsava, aimed at attracting foreign tourists/pilgrims and market Bodh Gaya as an important international tourist destination, ended around midnight on Thursday.

The Mahotsava was jointly organised by the tourism department of the state government and Gaya district administration.

In an important development, the International Buddhist Council, the forum of Bodh Gaya-based foreign monasteries, while expressing dissatisfaction with the Mahotsava format, demanded participation of the monasteries of 22 different countries including Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Bhutan at the Mahotsava if the event was to achieve its objective of playing catalyst to the growth of spiritual tourism in Bodh Gaya.

Speaking at the closing function of the Buddha Mahotsava, Bhadant Anirudha, vice president of the International Buddhist Council, offered to arrange cultural troupes from the 22 countries having their monasteries in Bodh Gaya.

Bhadant Anirudha also offered to provide financial assistance to the organisers to make it a mega event of the Buddhist calendar.

Speaking as the chief guest at the concluding function of the Mahotsava, Chaudhary said the teachings of Buddha have become more relevant in view of the terrorist threat in the world. Buddha’s favourite madhyam marg (middle path) and his stress on serving the suffering humanity needed sincere adoption, said Chaudhary.