Buddhist monks march in Bodh Gaya to promote world peace

Buddhist monks in Bihar's Bodh Gaya District took part in a peace march recently to promote world peace.

The march saw participants from various countries, religious groups and students from neighbouring schools as well.

The peace march was followed by a secular peace prayer offered by monks under the famed Bodhi tree where Buddha was enlightened.

"In the morning we held a peace procession from the great Buddha statue to the main temple. There were around five hundred participants that included representatives, visiting foreigners, and school children from surrounding schools in Gaya and Bodh Gaya," said secretary of the Bodh Gaya Temple Management Committee, N. Dorge.

Bihar's Chief Minister Nitish Kumar also took part in the celebrations.

"Honorable Chief Minister of Bihar joined the peace procession. All our celebrations and peace prayer happened under the Bodhi tree with participants from religious groups like Hinduism, Christianity, Sikhism, Islam, Brahma Kumaris and Jains," added Dorge.

Kumar paid his offerings at the Bodh Gaya Temple and religiously sat through prayer offerings. He was later felicitated by the representatives and monks.

The peace march was attended by participants from eight different countries namely Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Bhutan, Japan, South Korea and Tibet.

The ancient Bodh Gaya temple is believed to have been built nearly 1500 years ago. It is believed that Indian Emperor Ashoka visited this holy place in 260 BC and built a small temple there in honour of Lord Buddha.

In the year 2002, the UNESCO had declared Mahabodhi Temple as a World Heritage Site.