Second Ramgram Festival Unveiled in Lumbini

 

Lumbini, January 5, 2024:

The second "Ramgram Festival" has been organized in Ramgram, Nawalparasi, home to the only relic of Gautam Buddha, the peaceful harbinger of Buddhism. The event, a collaborative effort between the Youth Buddhist Society of India (VBCI) and the Lumbini Development Trust, was inaugurated on Friday by Dr. Lharkyal Lama, a member of the Constituent Assembly and Vice-Chairman of the Lumbini Development Trust.

Dr. Lharkyal Lama lit the ceremonial lamp to mark the inauguration, emphasizing the significance of the only stupa in Ramgram that houses the relic of Buddha, ensuring its preservation. He highlighted the global importance of this shared heritage for Buddhists worldwide, as Ramgram is the only place with a stupa containing Buddha's only relic.

The festival, dedicated to Buddha's teachings and practices, aims to promote human and animal welfare, reflecting the essence of Buddha's education. In attendance at the event were Suresh Chandra Baudh, the National President of the Youth Buddhist Society, Dr. Upandan, Secretary-General Bhikshu, and Korean monk Sunimala, who stressed the critical importance of Ramgram as a significant site for Buddhists.

The stupa, measuring approximately 80 feet in width, 90 feet in length, and 30 feet in height, is constructed with bricks. According to the Buddhist scriptures, after the Mahaparinirvana of Gautam Buddha, when his mortal remains were being cremated, they transformed into shining pearls in the shape of grams. These gram-shaped remains were then named relics, and one part of these relics is said to be preserved in the stupa in Ramgram.

According to ancient beliefs, the King of the ancient Koliya Republic (Ramgram) acquired this relic as a major stakeholder for being the maternal side of the Buddha and established the stupa in Ramgram.