Importance of Lumbini

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Nepal’s Lumbini, though only for a few hours, is full of symbolism and essence. No Indian Prime Minister has visited Lumbini in the last few decades. Mr Modi’s visit is a combination of personal will and political and strategic goals. For him, it is the fulfillment of a wish expressed when he became prime minister for the first time in 2014. Since he could not visit Lumbini during his previous visits to Nepal, I planted a sapling of the sacred Bodhi tree on his behalf in the gardens of the Maya Devi temple, where Gautama Buddha was born.

In the midst of the conflict and turmoil and the anger and hatred we see in society, the Prime Minister’s visit is also sparked by quiet reflection and the repetition and roar of the Buddha’s message of peace, compassion and non-violence. Lions in Four Directions, as depicted in the Lion Capital of our national emblem Ashoka – a message that seeks to overcome extremes in ideology and thought and follow a middle path forged through tolerance, dialogue and debate, and reconciliation and consensus calls to do.

Buddha’s birthplace

The visit is political, as it is expected to put an end to unnecessary debate over whether Buddha was born in Nepal, a sensitive issue for Nepal. Any claim to the contrary results in anti-India protests in a country whose national identity is linked to Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha.

This is strategic given China’s growing presence in Lumbini, which is close to the Indian border; The largest monastery is built by the Chinese who sponsor and support international conferences on Buddhism in Nepal as well as large-scale celebrations of Buddhist festivals such as Vesak. In pre-COVID-19 times, Lumbini had a steady influx of Chinese tourists and reports about potential Chinese investments in the region. The Chinese are leaving no stone unturned to exploit the soft power potential of Buddhism, a rapidly growing religious tradition with half a billion followers (mainly in East and Southeast Asia). During a visit to Myanmar a few years ago, this writer saw huge crowds in the capital, Yangon, which was prepared for the occasion. They waited patiently to catch a glimpse of Buddhist relics from China.

India is home to some of the most sacred sites of Buddhism: Bodh Gaya, the place of the enlightenment of Lord Buddha; His first sermon, Sarnath; and his Mahaparinirvana, Kushinagar. And this does not count Sravasti, where the Buddha preached for many years; Nalanda; and Rajgir, among many others. Unfortunately, India is largely not represented in Lumbini, but for a small museum building that was built with Indian assistance in the late 1990s. The proposal for ‘Sound and Light Show’ is in limbo.

Lumbini is home to beautiful monasteries from many countries. The first foreign monastery in Lumbini was built by Thai Huen Dieu, a Vietnamese monk. Later he built another in Bodh Gaya. (In large part because of his efforts, a visit to Bodh Gaya has become day For every communist politician coming from Vietnam.) India has no monastery in Lumbini. Mr. Modi’s visit is an opportune time to rectify the situation and announce the establishment of an Indian Math.

India can do much more in Lumbini. More than 50 years ago, UN Secretary-General U Thant set up an international committee for the development of Lumbini. A master plan was developed by the Japanese architect Kenzo Tange. Since then, Nepal has been implementing the plan, in a sluggish place. From time to time, Nepalese leaders have spoken of reviving the committee to add more dynamism to the project. India can help them in this regard.

The Lumbini and Mahabodhi Temples in Bodh Gaya are both UNESCO World Heritage Sites – they are the same as Mecca for Muslims or Kashi for Hindus, and a must visit at least once in a lifetime. However, crowds of Buddhist pilgrims remain small. Over the years there has been talk of developing a Buddhist circuit with seamless connectivity and comfortable travel between the major pilgrimage sites of Nepal and India. Unfortunately, the conversation hasn’t completely turned into action. Although the road network on the Indian side is much better today, there is a need to upgrade the connectivity roads connecting Nepal to the Indian highway system. It is a nightmare to cross the Sunauli-Bhairhwa Indo-Nepal check post on the Uttar Pradesh-Nepal border earmarked for tourists. Perhaps traveling by road instead of helicopter will give the prime minister an idea of ​​the poor state of border infrastructure and immigration and other facilities in the area. Of course, now the construction of airports at Kushinagar (India) as well as Bhairahawa (Nepal) will make travel easier. The early construction of the Integrated Check Post will also boost tourism and the local economy.

Development of Buddhist Circuit

While there is a master plan to develop Lumbini, its shortcomings are evident in Bodh Gaya. Bodh Gaya has developed in an unplanned manner by the secular and pious zealot Gaal Joul; It is like any other small town in India – chaotic, dirty and noisy. It is anything but cool. There is an urgent need to adopt a master plan and develop Bodh Gaya as a holy place for pilgrimage for both Hindus and Buddhists. Relations between monasteries abroad and local communities in Bodh Gaya are poor. A high-level coordination committee comprising representatives from the state and central governments as well as foreign monasteries should be constituted to resolve the problems. Monasteries are headed by monks who are highly revered in their home countries and should be treated with respect and dignity. Bodh Gaya can also learn from the experience of Lumbini, in which a twin system has been established between the two cities. Efforts should be made to declare the entire Buddhist circuit, i.e. Lumbini-Bodhgaya-Sarnath-Kushinagar, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with a master plan for each section of the circuit.

India may also take the initiative to organize an international conference on the development of Buddhist circuits; This will give Buddhist countries a sense of participation and ownership. This can be a joint initiative of India and Nepal. India may also set up an international museum of Buddhist traditions in Bodh Gaya and invite all Buddhist countries to participate.

If we implement some of these suggestions and improve the infrastructure in the area, millions of devotees who want to follow in Buddha’s footsteps will be forever grateful.

Ranjit Rai is the author of ‘The Kathmandu Dilemma: Resetting India-Nepal Relations’ and is a former Ambassador to Nepal.