India is set to host 108 Buddhist pilgrims from South Korea celebrating the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries.
The Ministry of Culture announced the pilgrimage, stating the step would help the country stall the growing Chinese Buddhist philosophy and its influence in the region.
The tourists will visit Buddhist pilgrimage sites in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in India and subsequently move to Nepal.
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting secretary Apurva Chandra on Monday announced that 108 Buddhist pilgrims from South Korea will walk over 1,100 km over a period of 43 days as part of a walking pilgrimage organised by the Sangwol Society of South Korea.
Chandra added that the occasion holds importance as India and South Korea will celebrate 50 years of the establishment of diplomatic ties.
“The pilgrimage aims to increase friendship and collaboration between the two countries,” he said. He further noted that it was the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to offer a Buddhist tourism circuit to the world from his birthplace, India.
The circuit aims to help tourists experience first-hand teachings of Lord Buddha and trace his footsteps during his lifetime. The sites to be covered during the pilgrimage span the life of Buddha from his birth to his Parinirvana.
The tourists will be on a 43-day tour to Buddhist holy sites in India and Nepal from February 9 to March 23. The walking pilgrimage will begin from Sarnath in Varanasi and will culminate at Shravasti after traversing through Nepal.
The slogan of the pilgrimage is ‘Oh, We! Oh, Love! Oh, Life!‘, the pilgrimage.
South Korea’s ambassador to India, Chang Jae-bok, said the year 2023 was special for the bilateral relationship between the countries as the two celebrate this historic milestone of diplomatic relations.
“This occasion coincides with India’s G20 Presidency and South Korea is committed to India’s success at G20,” he added. The Ambassador further remarked that Buddhist teachings are similar to the motto of India’s G20 presidency ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’.
He further said that every year thousands of tourists visit India from Korea and this walking pilgrimage is being hosted by the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. He added that the pilgrims, which include monks, will pay homage to eight major Buddhist holy sites.