“There should be a huge Stupa in Gujarat over Buddha’s relics”

Various groups led by Jan Jagruti Abhiyan have demanded that the state government should construct a huge stupa in Vadodara where the relic casket that contains the ashes of Lord Buddha will be displayed for public view to convert Vadodara into a tourism hub. The memorandum submitted to Chief Minister Narendra Modi about this has been signed by 1,500 citizens apart from 20 state-level associations including the Buddhist Society of India.

The demand is timely as International seminar on Buddhist heritage is beginning on Friday in Vadodara where MS University possesses mortal remains of Lord Buddha.

The relics of Lord Buddha were unearthed by MSU’s department of archaeology and ancient history in 1963, the mortal remains are preserved in the department under lock and key. The department had unearthed the relic casket from Devni Mori near Shamlaji in north Gujarat.

“We have requested the CM that on the inauguration of the seminar he should make an announcement to this effect so that both the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) and MSU take up a joint project for the benefit of Vadodara and establish a huge ornate stupa in Gujarat’s golden jubilee year,” said Manhar Shah of Jan Jagruti Abhiyan.

Quoting texts, Shah added that even scholars have written that Lord Buddha himself wanted that stupas should be created over his mortal remains and hence there is no meaning of keeping the relics in close cupboards.