Parliamentarians from India ‘representing Buddhist sites’ are being invited to Nepal to attend a conference on ‘Nepal-India Buddhist circuit’ on November 15 with a focus on developing the international tourist potential of historical and archeological monuments in the two countries.
The conference on Buddhist places would be inaugurated by the Nepalese President Ram Baran Yadav in Kathmandu on November 15. The next day, all the parliamentarians and delegates would be taken to lumbini, the birth place of Gautam Buddha, and given a brief account of Buddhist locations in India and Nepal.
The MPs and Buddhist scholars are expected to outline an “ambitious framework” to develop and connect “Buddhist tourism” in the world famous spots relating to birth, evolution and rise of Buddhism in the two neighbouring countries.
The interaction and discussion on Buddhist sites is being organized prior to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s proposed four-day visit to SAARC meeting in the Nepalese Capital on November 25, said Sidharth Guatam, president, ‘lumbini Foundation’, which has invited MPs, including those from the BJP, to attend the conference.
Guatam said, “Modi is expected to visit lumbini, Muktinath, a pilgrimage sacred for Hindus and Buddhists and Janakpur, the birth place of Sita (or Janaki)”. The possibility of Modi reaching Janakpur by road from Patna via Bhittamod too is not being ruled out.An Indo-Nepal resolution would be passed at the conference of MPs on ways to connect the Buddhist places by air and road and attract tourists at a “much bigger scale”, he said.
MPs ‘representing constituencies’ with famous Buddhist sites like Sarnath, Nalanda, Vidisha, Bodh Gaya, Ajanta-Ellora, Sanchi and others have been sent invitations by the lumbini Foundation. The Union Culture Minister may also be invited to the Conference, said Gautam.There may be 20 MPs from India and 30 from the Nepalese Constituent assembly.Incidentally, Modi’s parliamentary constituency Varanasi is close to the world famous Sarnath, famous for ancient Buddhist relics, particularly the Ashoka Pillar, the national emblem of India.
There are well-established mainline Buddhist circuits like Delhi-Varanasi (Sarnath)-Bodh Gaya, Delhi-BodhGaya- Sarnath-Kushinagar-Katha-mandu-lumbini, Delhi-Ajanta Ellora-Udaigiri-Khandagiri- Bodh Gaya, and Delhi-Sarnath-Kathamandu-lumbini-Bodh Gaya-Kushinagar. But hundreds of other ‘circuits’ lack road and other connectivity.
India has expressed interests in developing road projects in Nepal to develop infrastructure in religious sites including places like Janakpur. A direct Delhi-Kathmandu bus service has already been approved.