Japanese tourists on the cleanliness drive at Gridhakutta Hills on Wednesday. Telegraph picture

Patna, Jan. 4: Japanese monk Nichidatsu Fujii, while erecting Vishwa Shanti Stupa atop Ratnagiri Hills in Rajgir in 1969, probably might not have thought that his countrymen would have to return every year to clean the surroundings of the temple.

The lack of cleanliness measures in Rajgir — the world-acclaimed Buddhist pilgrimage centre — seems to have become a global eco concern. Thus, a Japanese Buddhist group comes every year to clean the Buddhist sites in Rajgir.

“It was around eight years ago when a Japanese group had observed that the place is not cleaned properly. Considering the high values attached with Rajgir among Buddhist devotees from across the globe, it was decided to take a personal initiative to contain the situation. Subsequently, a group of over-a-dozen Japanese devotees from different monasteries visits Rajgir every year to conduct cleanliness drives at Ratnagiri and Gridhakutta hills among other important sites,” said Asai, the chief monk of Ryuzo-Ji temple located at Nara town in Japan.

Asai is leading the group of 17 Japanese devotees, who arrived in Calcutta on January 2. They arrived in Patna yesterday morning and visited the Buddhist sites in Vaishali during the day. They reached Rajgir today morning and conducted cleanliness drives for around six to eight hours on the hilltop and the road leading to Gridhakutta. Tomorrow, they would clean the surroundings of Vishwa Shanti Stupa, the hot water springs and the Japanese temple around Venuvan.

The stupa atop Ratnagiri Hills and Gridhakutta Hills are world-renowned tourist attractions. The stupa is the tallest peace pagoda in the world. Gridhakutta Hills, on the other hand, is believed to have been frequented by Lord Buddha and given two important sutras, the Lotus Sutra and the Prajnaparamita.

The society responsible for the upkeep of the Vishwa Shanti Stupa also hailed the efforts of the Japanese group. “The cleanliness drive conducted by the group is a noble initiative. Everyone should extend their support to keep the place, of such high religious importance, clean,” said Mahashweta Maharathi, the secretary of Rajgir Buddha Vihar Society.

Bansi Bishnoi, the interpreter and leader of the Japanese group, said the cleanliness drive is not a part of any ritual. “I have been bringing Japanese groups to Rajgir for the past five years. They come to offer prayers to Lord Buddha and the cleanliness drive is their personal effort to maintain sanctity of the place and not a ritual. Though the situation has improved over the years, there is still a lot of scope. For instance, hardly any dustbins are seen on the hills and the vendors also spill garbage all around the place,” said Bisnoi.

K.N. Jha, the general manager of the hotel where the group is staying, urged others to take lessons from such an exercise. “We Indians are known for our hospitality. But the manner with which we have forced our guests to clean our temples is disappointing.”