Monks protest Bodh Gaya attack Skip to main content

Monks protest Bodh Gaya attack

About 300 monks and disciples rallied at the United Nations and the Indian embassy in Bangkok on Wednesday demanding safety for the historic Bodh Gaya temple complex in India after bomb attacks on Sunday.
Monks from Thailand and other countries rally at the United Nations on Ratchadamneon Avenue on Wednesday calling for safety at the Bodh Gaya temple complex in India. (Photo by Chanat Katanyu)

The protesters, most of them monks from 10 countries and led by the World Fellowship of Buddhists, held placards and banners condemning the attackers.

They submitted a letter to the UN and the Indian government urging better protection for the Unesco World Heritage site and the Mahabodi shrine in Bihar state, also in India.

In Sri Lanka, local and foreign monks also protested outside the Indian High Commission in Colombo, demanding extra security for the shrine in India.

Monks from Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Vietnam, along with Sri Lankan monks, demonstrated for more than an hour before handing a petition to commission officials.

"We want the Indian government to pay additional attention to protecting places of Buddhist interest such as the Mahabodi shrine," a spokesman for a local Buddhist organisation Bodhbala Sena, or Buddhist Force, Ven Galagodaatte Ganasara said.

The protesters called for a speedy inquiry into Sunday's bombing of the temple, which injured at least two monks.

Bodh Gaya is popular among Thai monks and Buddhists. Sri Lankans have been advised to refrain from undertaking pilgrimages to the Mahabodi site for at least one week.

The complex contains temples, a celebrated 24-metre statue of the Buddha, and dozens of monasteries housing monks from around the world. It also contains the holy Bodhi tree, where Buddhists believe the Lord Buddha reached enlightenment in 531 BC.

After his meditations beneath the tree, the Lord Buddha is said to have devoted the rest of his life to teaching.

The complex houses multiple shrines marking the places where the Lord Buddha is said to have spent time after his enlightenment. He founded an order of monks before dying, aged 80.

Indian authorities said 13 bombs were placed and 10 exploded on Sunday. They arrested a man on Monday. No one claimed responsibility for the bombing.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews/359258/rallies-against-bombing-in-bodh-gaya
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Thai penis whitening trend raises eyebrows

Image copyright LELUXHOSPITAL Image caption Authorities warn the procedure could be quite painful A supposed trend of penis whitening has captivated Thailand in recent days and left it asking if the country's beauty industry is taking things too far. Skin whitening is nothing new in many Asian countries, where darker skin is often associated with outdoor labour, therefore, being poorer. But even so, when a clip of a clinic's latest intriguing procedure was posted online, it quickly went viral. Thailand's health ministry has since issued a warning over the procedure. The BBC Thai service spoke to one patient who had undergone the treatment, who told them: "I wanted to feel more confident in my swimming briefs". The 30-year-old said his first session of several was two months ago, and he had since seen a definite change in the shade. 'What for?' The original Facebook post from the clinic offering the treatment, which uses lasers to break do...
1 comment
Read more

Ancient Rakhine City of Mrauk-U Proposed for UNESCO World Heritage Site

The Irrawaddy YANGON—Myanmar’s Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture submitted the final draft of its nomination for Mrauk-U to become a World Heritage Site to UNESCO on Monday, four months after the ministry submitted the first draft of its nomination in September 2019. If the application succeeds, Mrauk-U will be the third place in Myanmar to be inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, after the ancient cities of Bagan and Pyu. Mrauk-U is located in northern Rakhine State, around 60 km from the state capital of Sittwe. The ancient city was the seat of Arakanese kings from the 1400s until the late 1700s. At the height of their power, they controlled an area covering large parts of eastern Bengal, modern-day Rakhine State and the western part of central Myanmar. Much of the city’s remains are well-preserved and some 380 historic temples are scattered between the lush hills of northern Rakhine. Mrauk-U Heritage Trust chairwoman Daw Khin Than told The Irrawaddy on Tue...
1 comment
Read more

Sri Bhaddanta Chandramani Mahathera

The Life Story of A Distinguished And Outstanding Bhikkhu The Most Venerable Saradawpharagree Sri Bhaddanta Chandramani Mahathera The Buddhist missionary Saradaw Ashin U Chandramani was endowed with great gifts and led a famous and long life. He was a very well known, distinguished and outstanding Bhikkhu Mahathera. While living in the Kushinagar Monastery, a place close to where the Lord Buddha had passed away to Nirvana, the Government of India had offered, and he had accepted, the highest, most honourable and respected title "Guru Guru MahaGuru". He became the first ever President of all Buddhists in India.A World Buddhist Conference took place in Kathmandu during the reign of King Mahindra of Nepal. The Conference was very well attended by over one hundred thousand Buddhists from various parts of the world and it was opened by King Mahindra himself. As requested by the King, Saradawpharagree blessed all the participants with the power of Triple Gems...
Post a Comment
Read more