The ancient and serene Jethian-Rajgir valley underwent a spiritual rejuvenation on Sunday with hundreds of Buddhist monks, pilgrims, foreign tourists and residents walking the 15.5km path that the Buddha took around 2,500 years ago through the hills.
The second Jethian-Rajgir Dhamma walk, organised by International Tipitaka Chanting Council (ITCC) and Light of the Buddha Dhamma Foundation International in association with Nav Nalanda Mahavihar and Bodhgaya Temple Management Committee, witnessed the congregation of monks and devotees from 11 countries, including Sri Lanka, Japan, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Thailand. Several faculty members from Nalanda University including vice-chancellor Gopa Sabharwal and researchers in ancient history and Buddhism from countries such as US, Germany and UK also took part in the event.
On the Buddha walk, David Geari, a professor of anthropology at University of British Columbia, Canada, said: "Bihar is blessed to have the sanctified route on which Buddha actually walked. The initiative of reviving this Buddha path is a noble step, and the walking pilgrimage is a sacred journey. The valley between Jethian and Rajgir is picturesque and it should be preserved in its pristine form."
According to historical texts, Buddha had walked this path, around 140km southeast of Patna, in 6th century BC on the request of King Bimbisara after Gautama attained enlightenment at Bodhgaya. The first step in reviving the spiritual legacy of this path was initiated in 2014, when the same organisers held the first Dhamma walk on December 13 that year.
On Sunday, monks walked the path chanting Buddham Sharnam Gachchhami. Two highlights of this year's walk were a sangha-dana (villagers of Jethian offered alms to the monks) and the unveiling of a statue of King Bimbisara at Veluvan, the concluding point of the walk.
"The Buddha and the Sangha (Buddhist monastic order), during their stay in Jethian en route to Veluvan, were offered alms by Jethian residents. The tradition was today revived in a unique exercise of sangha-dana before the walk," said Ravindra Pant, director, Nava Nalanda Mahavihara.
Wangmo Dixey, executive secretary, Light of the Buddha Dhamma Foundation International, said: "We have come here to follow the footsteps of the Blessed One (Buddha) and it was a highly joyous and sacred moment for us to see the sangha-dana being performed in the presence of the living Sangha (union of Buddhist monks and nuns)."
On the significance of the statue of Bimbisara unveiled at Veluvan, Deepak Anand, a heritage volunteer at Nava Nalanda Mahavihara, said: "It is the first time in India that a statue of King Bimbisara has been put up."
A majority of around 500 Buddhist monks who walked the Dhamma route on Sunday came from the 10-day Tipitaka chanting at Bodhgaya under the banner of the ITCC and the Buddha Dhamma Foundation International, which concluded on Saturday.
The Buddha Path has been conceptualised on the basis of travelogues of Chinese monk-scholar Xuanzang in the 7th century AD.
