Buddha flame to wing its way to Nepal Pavilion
- Source: Global Times
- [10:21 July 23 2010]
- Comments
By Craig Curtis
A plan to carry a torch from the birthplace of the Sakyamuni Buddha in Nepal across China to the Nepal Pavilion at the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai has been called off due to time constraints, the director of the Nepal Pavilion told the Global Times Thursday.
The torch, lit from the Eternal Peace Flame that has burned since 1986 in Lumbini, the UNESCO-recognized birthplace of the Sakyamuni Buddha, was to depart on a 26-day cross-country journey to the Expo Park.
"Originally, a caravan of eight or so cars would have driven from Lumbini on the Nepal- India border to Khatmandu for celebrations, and then on to Lhasa, before passing through five Chinese regions to eventually reach the Expo Park in Shanghai," Binayak Shah, the director of the Nepal Pavilion, said.
The group planned to drive during the night and stop during the day in towns along their route, a plan that had been agreed with the Shanghai Municipal Government.
However, Shah said that not all the delegates for the party accompanying the torch would be ready to depart until August 27, meaning the torch will now be flown across China.
"The current plan is to drive the torch the 400-kilometer journey from Lumbini to Khatmandu, departing on August 27, and to hold a celebration at the holy Swayambhunath Stupa shrine, west of Khatmandu," Shah said. "Then, the flame will be flown, along with the delegation of around 10 individuals."
The party will arrive in Shanghai no later than September 2 to light a torch set up in the Nepal Pavilion on September 3, the national pavilion day for Nepal at the World Expo.
Shah said the visit was aimed at educating people about Nepal's status as the birthplace of the historical Buddha, known popularly as Siddhartha Gautama.
"The Buddha is the son of Nepal. Everywhere in China it is written that he was born in India," Shah said.
Shah added that an idea to bring Buddha-related relics along with the torch, including pieces of hair and fingernails kept at holy sites in Nepal, has been shelved due to concerns over security, and the crowds of people they may attract.
"There are many difficulties in terms of security of the relics and the number of pilgrims who would come to the Expo to see them," Shah said. "The Expo isn't a place where religion is to be promoted. We are promoting the culture, tra-ditions and history of Nepal. Lumbini symbolizes peace. We wish for world peace."
Previously, Indian news media reported that the Chinese government had rejected the request from Nepalese authorities to allow the overland convoy to go ahead due to safety concerns, a claim that was later denied by both Nepalese and Chinese officials.
