Foreign tourists in Gaya on Monday. Picture by Suman

Gaya, Oct. 17: The Bodhgaya Temple Management Committee (BTMC) will arrange a toll -free number for the convenience of devotees and the tourists participating in the 11-day Kalchakra Puja scheduled at Bodhgaya from December 31.

Preparations for the festival have already begun and the toll-free number will provide information to the devotees and the tourists in Hindi and English separately about Kalchakra Puja and the facilities available during the festival. The devotees and the tourists can also lodge their complaints through the toll-free number.

Gaya district magistrate-cum-BTMC chairperson Bandana Preyashi has asked the committee to start the toll free number during a meeting held on Thursday evening.

Preyashi presided over the meeting that was held to review the preparations for the Kalchakra Puja. Around two lakh devotees and tourists from various Buddhist countries are likely to reach Bodhgaya and participate in the Kalchakra Puja, led by the spiritual leader of the Tibetan Buddhists, the 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso.

In view of the large inflow of tourists expected during the Kalchakra Puja, the administration will construct around 3,000 tents to provide accommodation arrangement. The tents will be set up on the campus of Magadh University, Bodh Gaya High School, Bodh Gaya math and other government land plots. The district magistrate has also directed to ensure uninterrupted power supply during the Kalchakra Puja.

On the other hand, the Bodhgaya Nagar panchayat has begun the preparations for the Kalchakra Puja. Nagar panchayat chairperson Preeti Singh also held a meeting recently. She said to ensure full security and safety of devotees and the tourists close circuit television camera (CCTC) will be installed at several places in Bodhgaya.

To ensure cleanliness in the heritage city around 150 additional daily wage sweepers will be pressed into service. For making water supply at the makeshift tents and other places at least 18 tankers will be available at Bodhgaya. The Nagar Panchayat will also ensure arrangements for makeshift sanitation and proper parking of vehicles.

The Kalchakra Puja is being organised at Bodhgaya after a gap of nine years. It was held at Bodhgaya last time in 2003 from January 12 to 20. As more than two lakh devotees and the tourists are expected to visit Bodhgaya, almost all the hotels have been booked in advance by the travel agents or directly by the devotees. Buddhists devotees, including monks and nuns from north-eastern states of India, Tibet and other Buddhist countries take part in the festival.

During the first three days of the festival, the Dalai Lama would prepare sand mandla with the senior monks of Namgyal monastery at Bodhghaya and others. He would lead prayers for world peace and other religious initiations. From January 3 to 5, he would deliver discourse based on Buddhist theory given by Kamalsheel, Geshe Langri and Nagarjuna. On January 6, the Kalchakra dance would be performed and the Dalai Lama would offer ‘diksha’ from January 7 to 9.