President of India H. E. Ram Nath Kovind launched the website www.indiathelandofbuddha.in and a new film showcasing the important Buddhist sites in the country while inaugurating the International Buddhist Conclave 2018 on August 23rd 2018.
Speaking on the importance of Buddhism, His Excellency said: “The voyage of Buddhism from India to Asia and the transcontinental links that were created carried more than just spiritualism. They carried a rich cargo of knowledge and learning. They carried arts and crafts. They carried meditation techniques and even martial arts.”
K.J. Alphons Minister of State (I/C) for Tourism said that India has a rich ancient Buddhist Heritage with several important sites associated with the life of Lord Buddha. The Indian Buddhist Heritage is of great interest to the followers of Buddhism the world over. “The aim of the Conclave is to showcase and project the Buddhist Heritage in India and boost tourism to the Buddhist sites in the country and cultivate friendly ties with countries and communities interested in Buddhism,” he added.
The Ambassador of Japan to India, Kenji Hiramatsu in his address said that the Japan has very long cultural relations with India and Tourism is the important component in Indo-Japan relations. The cultural relations between India and Japan are still continuing. Japan is promoting sightseeing tours of Buddhist sites in Japan to promote Buddhism.
The 4 days long Conclave has been organised by the Ministry of Tourism in collaboration with the State Governments of Maharashtra, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh from 23rd – 26th August, 2018 at New Delhi and Ajanta (Maharashtra), followed by site visits to Rajgir, Nalanda and Bodhgaya (Bihar) and Sarnath (Uttar Pradesh).
The Ministerial level delegation from Bangladesh, Indonesia, Myanmar and Sri Lanka are participating in the conclave. The delegates from 29 countries such as Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Mangolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Norway, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Slovak Republic, Spain, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, UK, USA and Vietnam participated in the International Buddhist Conclave.
