Monks march to commemorate enlightenment of Lord Buddha in Jharkhand

Thousands of monks marched on the 11km-long stretch from Dungeshwari to Bodh Gaya in Bihar to commemorate the enlightenment of Lord Budhha.

Monks from Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Bhutan and Bangladesh participated in the spiritual journey.

The march began from Dungeshwari, the hillock where Buddha along with his disciples conducted a marathon meditation lasting for six years. It culminated under the sacred Bodhi tree at Mahabodhi Temple, with a brief stopover at Sujatagarh.

Buddha is believed to have attained enlightenment at the Mahabodhi Temple. Special prayers were conducted under the tree.

"We are following the journey of enlightenment. On this same path Lord Buddha had taken the journey of enlightenment. But the path from Dungeshwari - Bodh Gaya needs to be developed because monks face a lot of difficulty in walking on the path. The journey will become easier if this path will be developed," said chief monk of the temple, Bhante Chalind.

The tourism department plans to develop the two stretches to promote walk-based tourism.