Buddhist monks organize peace march in Bodh Gaya

The monks organized a peace march here on the occasion of the 150th birth anniversary of Buddhist saint Anagarika Dharmapala.

Monks from Thailand, Bhutan and Sri Lanka participated in the peace march that took place on Wednesday.

"A huge peace procession was organized on the 150th birth anniversary of Buddhist saint Anagarika Dharmapala. The monks from Bhutan, Thailand and Sri Lanka participated in the peace march," said Bhante Medakar, the in-charge of Mahabodhi Society of India.

Buddhist scriptures describe Bodh Gaya as the 'Navel of the Earth', where pilgrims and tourists from Sri Lanka, China, Japan and South East Asia visit the Buddhist shrine every year.

Bodh Gaya is a religious site and place of pilgrimage associated with the Mahabodhi Temple Complex in Bihar's Gaya district. It is the place where Gautama Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment.

For Buddhists, Bodh Gaya is the most important of the main four pilgrimage sites related to the life of Gautama Buddha, the other three being Kushinagar, Lumbini, and Sarnath.

In 2002, Mahabodhi Temple, located in Bodh Gaya, became a UNESCO world heritage site.