BHUBANESWAR: A group of 300 people, including monks, nuns and Buddhist devotees from seven countries have arrived here on an eight-day ‘Eco Padyatra’ to promote Buddhist tourism and protect environment.The group would visit five Buddhist sites in Khurda and Jajpur districts and cover a distance of 140 km during the padyatra, organised by New Delhi-based Drukpa Charitable Trust and led by Thuksey Rinpoche. The event was flagged off by Tourism and Culture Minister Ashok Chandra Panda on Tuesday.
Speaking on the occasion, Panda said Odisha has several important Buddhist heritage sites that attract devotees from across the globe. “I hope the padyatra will help spread important teachings of Lord Buddha on peace, universal brotherhood and harmony with nature. It is good that they are also creating awareness on preservation of environment”, he added.
As part of the campaign, the group, comprising residents of Bhutan, Nepal, Australia, Tibet, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan will visit important Buddhist sites including Udayagiri, Dhauli, Khandagiri, Lalitgiri and Ratnagiri. The monks, nuns and devotees will offer daily prayers for peace and compassion, engage in cleanliness drive and spread awareness among locals on the importance of preserving nature and sustainability.
The group is also expected to promote awareness on Buddhist heritage sites where cultural relics and monastic structures have been preserved for hundreds of years. The padyatra that started from Dhauli on the outskirts of the Capital will culminate at Ratnagiri on October 31.
Lauding Odisha’s contribution to Buddhist culture, Rinpoche said, “Our padyatra aims to remind people of both important aspects and teachings of Lord Buddha. We look forward to motivating people during the journey and hope the yatra will help us build a relationship with nature and inspire people to take care of environment.” The group has already conducted 15 such events in different countries and States having Buddhist sites. This is the last leg of its journey.