Pakistan puts
Buddhist tourism back on track
Islamabad, March 30 â€" Tourism in Pakistan, affected
by Islamist violence since 9/11, is expected to get a boost with
the promotion of the major Buddhist heritage site that cradled
the first century Gandhara civilisation.
Led by monks from Thailand, the World Fellowship of Buddhists
(WFB) is on its first official visit to the country for promotion
of the site. Its main attraction is Taxila or Takshashila university
that dates back to the reign of the Kushan dynasty. It was declared
a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1980.
‘Pakistan can be a great Buddhist
pilgrimage destination in the world,’ WFB secretary
general Phallop Thaiarry was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency
after the delegation visited the famous archaeological site 32
km from Islamabad.
President Asif Ali Zardari has given his nod to
the international Buddhist organisation to preserve and develop
the Gandhara heritage and to promote inter-faith harmony and tourism
in the country.
The kingdom of Gandhara lasted from the 6th century BC to the
11th century AD. It attained its height from the 1st century to
the 5th century AD under Buddhist Kushan Kings.
A proposal for the promotion of the ancient site has been made
before the Pakistan government, a monk said.
The WFB offered to promote Gandhara heritage in Pakistan’s
renowned universities and institutions and the translation of
literature on Gandhara in Thai Language.
‘The existence of large number
of Buddhist stupas and monasteries in Gandhara is very sacred
for Buddhists and an important part of our historic culture,’
Shahbaz Bhatti, Pakistan’s federal minister
for minorities, said.
‘The government always takes care of these sacred
religious sites and welcomes tourists to Pakistan,’
he said.
Besides Taxila, other neighbouring districts of Mansehra, Swabi,
Mardan, Swat, Peshawar and Khyber Agency also possess similar
sites, including edicts of emperor Ashoka (304 BC-232 BC).
Tourism to these sites flourished during 1990s,
when a large number of scholars, pilgrims and cultural enthusiasts
from across the world flocked to Pakistan. But it dropped drastically
after the 9/11 terror attack.
http://www.indiatalkies.com/2010/03/pakistan-puts-buddhist-tourism-track.html
