---------------------------- Original Message ---------------------------- Subject: Fwd: Stop the Desecration of Mahabodhi Temple, April 7,8 and 9! From: "U Myat Htoo" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Thu, March 30, 2006 9:53 am To: "U Myat Htoo" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ken and Visakha Kawasaki <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Date: Wed, 29 Mar 2006 14:52:20 -0500 (EST) From: Ken and Visakha Kawasaki <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: Ken and Visakha <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Stop the Desecration of Mahabodhi Temple, April 7,8 and 9! March 29, 2006 Dear Devotees of the Dhamma BuddhaGaya in India is a very sacred place to all Buddhists throughout the World. The site holds special significance this year, which is the 2550th Buddha Jayanti. The celebrations for this anniversary have begun in many Buddhist countries. Unfortunately, the BuddhaGaya Mahabodhi Temple Management Committee has accepted millions of Indian rupees from a Japan organization in return for permission to use this site celebrate Buddha's Birth Day, which, according to Japanese tradition, falls on April 8th, in a very questionable manner. This organization plans to bring a group of 150 musicians to give a concert within the temple compound, very near the sacred Diamond Throne (Vajrasana)and the sacred Bodhi Tree,where Siddhartha Gotama attained Supreme Enlightenment and became the Buddha. The complex of the Mahabodhi Vihar (Temple) has been designated a World Heritage site by Unesco, and it is completely inappropriate for this sacred place to be used for performing music, dancing, and entertainment. A company based in Delhi has already begun electrical wiring and construction of a huge temporary stage and arena for the concert. According to the plans, two very large (150 KV) generators will be installed. The musicians will hold rehearsals on April 7th and 8th, and the final concert will be held on April 9th. Knowing that such an event is completely outside the bounds of decency as well as the established policy, the Buddhagaya Temple Management Committee conducted all negotiations for this concert under the table. They have kept all the arrangements secret from local and government officials. There has been no publicity of any kind in the newspapers or other media. It is unconscionable that the District Magistrate of Gaya, who is also Ex Officio Chairman of Bodhgaya Temple Management Committee has given permission to the Japanese group for this desecration in the very heart of the most sacred place in India. I urge you to voice your objection to this sacrilege by sending polite, but firm, letters of opposition, demanding that this outrageous spectacle be canceled immediately, to: the BuddhaGaya Temple Management Committee, ; to Mr. Arvind Pandey, District Inspector General, Magadh Division, Fax: 0631-243-4071, 94-3163-2004 (Mobile); to Mr. Amit Kumar Jain, Fax: 0631-242-0110; to Mr. Sandeep Poundrik, District Magistrate, Gaya, , Tel-0631-242-0005(O), 0631-242-0008 (R), Fax: 0631-243-4071(via Mr. Shakti Kumar Negi, Commissioner of Magadh Division), 94-3122-6655 (Mobile) to Shri Nitish Kumar, Chief Minister of Bihar, , Tel: 0612-222-3886, 0612-222-4784 (O), 0612-222-2079 (R), Fax: 0612-222-4819; to Shri Sushil Kumar Modi, Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar , Tel: 0612-222-7894 (O), 267-4629 (R); and to Shri Gopalkrishna Gandhi, Governor of Bihar, , Fax: 0612-222-8910. Together we can stop this travesty. Yours in the Dhamma Ven. Bhadant Ananda Mahathero National General Secretary Akhil Bhartiya Bhikshu MahaSangha, Delhi Sangharam Buddha Vihar Main Loni Road, 3 Ambedkar Marg Shahdara, New Delhi 110093 Tel: 098-3703-0809 Please visit our websites: Buddhist Relief Mission www.brelief.org Burmese Relief Center--USA www.brelief.net Relief Notes 2004 http://home.earthlink.net/~brelief Relief Notes 2002 and Relief Notes 2003 can be accessed from the "Table of Contents" of Relief Notes 2004 "A Pilgrimage to the Buddhist Holy Sites," a 260-photo slide show of our 2001 pilgrimage to India can be viewed in Relief Notes 2002 at: http://home.earthlink.net/~drkto64/pilgrimage/pli.html ------------------------ Yahoo! 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Ken and Visakha Kawasaki <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Date: Wed, 29 Mar 2006 14:52:20 -0500 (EST)
From: Ken and Visakha Kawasaki <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: Ken and Visakha <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Stop the Desecration of Mahabodhi Temple, April 7,8 and 9!
March 29, 2006
Dear Devotees of the Dhamma
BuddhaGaya in India is a very sacred place to all Buddhists throughout the World. The site holds special significance this year, which is the 2550th Buddha Jayanti. The celebrations for this anniversary have begun in many Buddhist countries. Unfortunately, the BuddhaGaya Mahabodhi Temple Management Committee has accepted millions of Indian rupees from a Japan organization in return for permission to use this site celebrate Buddha's Birth Day, which, according to Japanese tradition, falls on April 8th, in a very questionable manner. This organization plans to bring a group of 150 musicians to give a concert within the temple compound, very near the sacred Diamond Throne (Vajrasana)and the sacred Bodhi Tree,where Siddhartha Gotama attained Supreme Enlightenment and became the Buddha. The complex of the Mahabodhi Vihar (Temple) has been designated a World Heritage site by Unesco, and it is completely inappropriate for this sacred place to be used for performing music, dancing, and entertainment.
A company based in Delhi has already begun electrical wiring and construction of a huge temporary stage and arena for the concert. According to the plans, two very large (150 KV) generators will be installed. The musicians will hold rehearsals on April 7th and 8th, and the final concert will be held on April 9th. Knowing that such an event is completely outside the bounds of decency as well as the established policy, the Buddhagaya Temple Management Committee conducted all negotiations for this concert under the table. They have kept all the arrangements secret from local and government officials. There has been no publicity of any kind in the newspapers or other media.
It is unconscionable that the District Magistrate of Gaya, who is also Ex Officio Chairman of Bodhgaya Temple Management Committee has given permission to the Japanese group for this desecration in the very heart of the most sacred place in India.
I urge you to voice your objection to this sacrilege by sending polite, but firm, letters of opposition, demanding that this outrageous spectacle be canceled immediately, to:
the BuddhaGaya Temple Management Committee,;
to Mr. Arvind Pandey,
District Inspector General, Magadh Division,
Fax: 0631-243-4071,
94-3163-2004 (Mobile);
to Mr. Amit Kumar Jain, Fax: 0631-242-0110;
to Mr. Sandeep Poundrik,
District Magistrate, Gaya,
,
Tel-0631-242-0005(O),
0631-242-0008 (R),
Fax: 0631-243-4071(via Mr. Shakti Kumar Negi, Commissioner of Magadh Division),
94-3122-6655 (Mobile)
to Shri Nitish Kumar,
Chief Minister of Bihar,,
Tel: 0612-222-3886, 0612-222-4784 (O),
0612-222-2079 (R),
Fax: 0612-222-4819;
to Shri Sushil Kumar Modi,
Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar,
Tel: 0612-222-7894 (O), 267-4629 (R); and
to Shri Gopalkrishna Gandhi,
Governor of Bihar,,
Fax: 0612-222-8910.
Together we can stop this travesty.
Yours in the Dhamma
Ven. Bhadant Ananda Mahathero
National General Secretary
Akhil Bhartiya Bhikshu MahaSangha, Delhi
Sangharam Buddha Vihar
Main Loni Road, 3 Ambedkar Marg
Shahdara, New Delhi 110093
Tel: 098-3703-0809
Please visit our websites:
Buddhist Relief Mission www.brelief.org
Burmese Relief Center--USA www.brelief.net
Relief Notes 2004 http://home.earthlink.net/~brelief
Relief Notes 2002 and Relief Notes 2003 can be accessed from
the "Table of Contents" of Relief Notes 2004
"A Pilgrimage to the Buddhist Holy Sites," a 260-photo slide show of our 2001
pilgrimage to India can be viewed in Relief Notes 2002 at:
http://home.earthlink.net/~drkto64/pilgrimage/pli.html
