Holy relics of Buddha arrives at Golden Pagoda

From our correspondent

Itagar, Oct 31: The holy relics of the Buddha arrived on Monday at the Golden Pagoda (Kongmu Kham) at msai in Aruchal Pradesh from Thailand.

Deputy Chief Minister Chow Mein received the relics at Mohanbari in Dibrugarh in neighbouring Assam.

The relics have been bestowed on the Golden Pagoda as a gesture of goodwill to the people of msai district by the Supreme Patriach of Thailand.

A delegation from Golden Pagoda had on October 19 last visited Thailand to receive it from the Sangharaja in Bangkok. It has filly been brought over by a 13 member Thai delegation, an official report said here on Tuesday.

The DCM and the abbot of Golden Pagoda Vimalatissa Mahathero had earlier written to the Sangharaja for bestowing the relics of Lord Buddha to bless the land and people of this part of the world. And very compassiotely, the Sangharaja had granted to confer Golden Pagoda with the relics.

Mein, while addressing the monks and devotees from both Aruchal and Assam, extended his profound gratefulness to the Sangharaja of Thailand as well as the Chief Minister Pema Khandu who had sponsored the reception of the relics in Thailand.

He said: “With the installation and enshrinement of the holy relics at the Golden Pagoda the spiritual tourism will get a big boost as the State government is giving utmost priority on tourism promotion.”

The deputy chief minister also said that the endowment of the holy relics to the Golden Pagoda was not only in terms of religious significance, but also a gesture to further strengthen the socio-cultural aspects of the Thai people and the Tai people of Northeast India, which shares historical as well as cultural affinities.

The bonding between people of both the countries is the way to strengthen ties with the ASEAN countries, he added.