Buddhist tourists visiting the ancient seat of learning at Vikramshila usually make three demands - tag the Buddha Mahavihara there with the Buddhist circuit, include it as a world heritage site, and, tell us more about Atish Dipankar Srigyan, a 10th Century Buddhist scholar and founder of Lamaism. Many visitors from abroad even throng Sabour block in Bhagalpur, famous as Dipankar's birthplace.
Dipankar began as an acharya (professor) but, backed by his abilities, rose to become the head of faculties at Vikramshila and was declared "minister of the religion of Buddha" by renowned Buddhist acharya Naro-Pa. Followers of Lamaism worship him. Invited by the then Tibetan monarch, Dipankar went to Tibet where he was instrumental in reforming and refining Buddhism and Lamaism during his 13-year stay. His efforts took Buddhism to the world.
"We came to Vikramshila, the karmabhoomi (work place) of Dipankar and thus a sacred place, to conduct rituals," said Khenpo Lodoe Rinpoche, a Buddhist Guru from Palchen Chosling monastic institute, Sikkim. "Ancient Buddhist texts say Sabour is Dipankar's birthplace. We are scheduled to visit it too."
Kahalgaon resident and Vikramshila expert Pawan Choudhary said Vikramshila visitors, especially foreigners, come to conduct rituals and also visit his birthplace. "It's a good sign. This year saw a sudden rise in number of foreign tourists," Pawan said.
"Dipankar is our sacred deity. We respect him like Gautam Buddha. So places related to him are very dear," said Leskyi Dorje from Bhutan.
Some pilgrims who came to Vikramshila from Japan in November also insisted on visiting Sabour. "Many Buddhists tourists want to know about Dipankar's birthplace," said Sabour resident Binoy Mishra. "I recall my grandfather having told me he was born near Vitti, in Sabour, but there is nothing to establish it."
Shiv Shanker Singh Parijat, a retired deputy director of the public relations department, government of Bihar, is researching on Dipankar. He said Buddhists texts mention Sahour as his birthplace but some scholars claim he was born in Bengal. "Buddhist scholar Rahul Sanskritiyan, who spent many years in Tibet, cites ancient Buddhist texts to claim Sahour (modern day Sabour near Bhagalpur)as his birthplace," Parijat said. "We should keep in mind the region was part of greater Bengal and many noted Buddhist authors, like S.C. Das, too claim Sahour as today's Sabour," Parijat said.
Gonsar Tuluk Rinpoche, spiritual director of Rabten Institute, Switzerland, said Vikramshila and Dipankar are very relevant to Buddhism. He said Rabten society has already initiated steps to build a temple of Dipankar with a Buddhist monastery near village Kashri, close to the half-excavated Vikramshila site. Construction is on, he said.
"This increasing interest in Dipankar would spread and more people will start coming to Vikramshila," said Helmut Gassner, a devotee from Germany.
N.K. Jaiswal, convener of Vikramshila Nagrik Samity, a Kahalgaon-based body fighting for the cause of Vikramshila, alleged lack of government interest to put Vikramshila on the tourism map.