Move to revive Buddhist pilgrimage trails

Patna:

Nav Nalanda Mahavihara

(NNM), the Nalanda-based deemed university, is organizing a one-day event on March 19 to celebrate 1352nd death anniversary of seventh CE Chinese monk scholar

Xuanzang

at Xuanzang Memorial, located in the vicinity of the ancient ruins of Nalanda Mahavihar. Master Ji Jing, an eminent monk of China, and his 300 disciples will take part in this event.

One of the highlights of the event will be release of brochures, titled 'Revival of Ancient Buddhist Pilgrimage in Bihar', to promote 'Walking Pilgrimages'.

The NNM is working to revive the ancient walking Buddhist pilgrimage trails with the help of information from Buddhist literature and accounts of Xuanzang, so that devotees can once again undertake 'Walking Pilgrimage' on these routes.

"The brochures highlight various thematic 'Walking Pilgrimage trails', like 'The Day of Exchange of Robes' a 10km trail connecting Silao and Rajgriha, based on the historic event of exchange of robes between Buddha and Mahakassapa," said Deepak Anand, a senior researcher of NNM.

Similarly, 'The Day of Design of Robes', a 25km stretch connecting Rajgriha and Parwati is based on the story that Buddha and his disciple Anand, once while walking on this route, discussed how the robes of monks should be like latticed patterns of the surrounding paddy fields.

At the same time, two walking pilgrimage trails - 'Day of Enlightenment', connecting Bakraur, Pragbodhi and Bodhgaya, and 'Day of Delivering the Fire-Sermon', from Bodh Gaya to Brahmayoni, are being promoted in Bodh Gaya area.

"The NNM, in collaboration with Light of Buddha Dharma Foundation International (LBDFI), a US-based Buddhist institution, has been organizing 'Dhamma Walk' to promote the 15km Jethian to Rajgir Walking Pilgrimage trail," Deepak Anand told TOI.

More than 2,000 participants walked in the second walk held on December 13, last year. There is a need to develop basic infrastructure along these trails. Walking Pilgrimage Trails, in the long run, will facilitate sustainable interface between the local community and the pilgrims.