An eight day-long “Eco Pad Yatra” led by Drukpa lineage environmentalists was flagged off by Tourism and Culture Minister Ashok Chandra Panda from the Bharat Scouts and Guides campus here on Wednesday.
Gyalwang Drukpa and Drukpa Thuksey Rinpoche along with over 100 monks and nuns and more than 200 devotees from across the world are participating in the Padayatra and scheduled to cross 140 km to raise awareness on environmental preservation in Odisha.
They would cover five Buddhist sites at Khandagiri, Udayagiri, Dhauli, Lalitgiri and Ratnagiri.
Rinpoche, “In our modern lifestyle, we have totally forgotten the ancient times as well as mother nature. Our Pad Yatra aims to remind people of both these important aspects and the important teachings of Buddha,” said Rinpoche.
Apart from creating awareness about environment preservation, the participants will offer daily prayers for peace and compassion and perform large-scale cleanings during the Padayatra.