Headlines
India reaches out to Indonesia's Buddhist community
Jakarta, May 25
India has reached out to the
large Buddhist community in Indonesia, which has the world's largest
Muslim population, by organising an exhibition on the Buddha.
“Buddha
Carika - In the footsteps of Shakyamuni Buddha†was inaugurated in the
Gedung Prasadha Jinarakkhita in Indonesia's capital Jakarta Sunday, the
Indian embassy said in a statement.
The famous Prasadha
Jinarakkhita has been built through the efforts of Mahabhiksu Ashin
Jinarakkhita Mahasthavira who was instrumental in spreading Buddhism in
Indonesia and uniting all the sects of Buddhism under one organisation.
The
opening ceremony was attended by Mahasthavira Nyanamaitri who
represents all the three sects of Buddhism in Indonesia -- Mahayana,
Theravada and Budayan -- and the Indian Ambassador to Indonesia and
Timor Leste, Gurjit Singh. Mahasthavira Nyanamaitri thanked the
government and embassy of India for bringing the exhibition to
Indonesia, and hoped that through this exhibition people of Indonesian
will learn more about Lord Buddha.
The exhibition has been brought to Indonesia as part of the ongoing “Sahabat India - The Festival of India in Indonesiaâ€.
“Buddha
Carika†was earlier held at Sakyamuni Vihara Cemara Asri in Medan,
which is the centre of all Buddhist activities across Sumatra, in Ubud,
an eminent centre of preservation and promotion of culture in Bali, and
in National Museum of Indonesia in Jakarta, which is an archeological,
historical, ethonological and geographical museum of Indonesia.
The exhibition has been designed by Nav Nalanda Vihara University under India's culture ministry.