'Tourism in northeast can flourish with Buddhist sites'

Tourism could flourish in the northeastern states due to the Buddhist sites in the region, Nagaland, Assam and Tripura Governor Padmanabha Balakrishna Acharya said on Monday.

"The northeast being the gateway of India's 'Look East' policy, the region can be made a more effective tourism destination based on goodwill of the crores of followers of Lord Buddha in the region and the adjoining countries," Acharya said in a statement.

"Without a single drop of blood, Buddha conquered the hearts of the people of the world. India is fortunate to have crores of his followers from neighbouring countries like Thailand, Korea, Bhutan and Japan," he said.

Only 250 km out of the northeast's 5,687 km outer perimeter touches India. The remaining 5,437 km represents international boundaries with China (1,300), Myanmar (1,643 km), Bhutan (516 km), Bangladesh (1,880 km) and Nepal (97 km).

Paying rich tribute to Lord Buddha on the occasion of Buddha Purnima on Monday, Acharya gave a call to spread the message of goodwill of Gautama Buddha, as the occasion is celebrated across the world as "Buddha Jayanti".

The main functions of the Buddha Jayanti were being held at the Tawang Monastery in Arunahcal Pradesh's Tawang district.

Built in 1681, the world famous monastery is very close to the Tibetan border. It is one of the largest Buddhist monasteries in India and draws a large number of visitors every year.

The monastery is also an important centre for Buddhist learning and cultural studies.

Buddha Purnima, marking the birth of Gautama Buddha, was being observed across the northeast region on Monday along with rest of the country.

Prayer sessions were being held in the various temples and monasteries, including those in Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Assam and Tripura.

Devotees thronged the Buddha temple at Polo grounds in Meghalaya's capital city of Shillong, one of the oldest Buddha temples in the northeast India.