Ambassador of Korea Lee Joongyu at Mahabodhi temple in Bodhgaya on Monday. Picture by Suman
Lee Joongyu, ambassador of South Korea in India, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi would visit his country in May.
The ambassador was visiting the World Heritage Mahabodhi Mahavihara in Bodhgaya on Monday when he made the remark on Modi.
It will be a combined visit of the Prime Minister to Korea and China during which the countries will discuss economic, cultural and social issues. Along with this, another important issue will be to start an air service from Korea to Bodhgaya. Korea has more than one crore followers of Buddhism but the inflow of devotees and tourists to Bodhgaya is only around one lakh every year. By starting an air service up to Bodhgaya, the inflow could be increased. 'We are also planning some big Buddhist event with India,' he said.
Buddhism travelled to China from India and then to Korea. Bodhgaya is the spiritual home for followers of Buddhism across around 50 Buddhist nations. In Korea, Buddhism was national religion and still there is great respect for Buddha and the Buddhists, he said.
Delhi-based International Buddhist Confederation vice-president Lochen Tulku Rinpoche said they were going to work for protection and development sites across the country. 'We have finalised memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with Bihar and the Gujarat governments and talks are being held with other state governments. In Bihar, we will work for protection and development of Buddhist sites like Nalanda and Rajgir,' Rinpoche said.
Earlier, Joongyu, accompanied by director-cum-counsellor Kim Kum Pyong, offered prayers before the statue of Buddha in the sanctum sanctorum of Mahavihara and also under the sacred Bodhi tree. Mahavihara chief monk Bhikkhu Chalinda led the ambassador to offer prayers.
Bodhgaya Temple Management Committee (BTMC) secretary Nangzey Dorjee welcomed the ambassador near the BTMC office. 'I will visit Nalanda and Rajgir on Tuesday and then to Patna. However, a meeting with chief minister Nitish Kumar could not be finalised this time. After Patna, I will also visit Ayodhya,' Joongyu said.
