India’s sacred Buddha relics draw 50,000 devotees in Russia’s Kalmykia

Kalmykia (Russia): Over 50,000 devotees, many of whom waited in queues stretching up to one kilometre, have paid homage at a monastery here which is hosting an exposition of India’s Sacred Relics of Lord Buddha, an official said on Saturday.

The exposition from India has drawn an unprecedented response in the Republic of Kalmykia, Russia, he said.

As of Sunday, over 50,000 devotees have paid their reverent homage to the relics, enshrined at the iconic Geden Sheddup Choikorling Monastery, popularly known as the ‘Golden Abode of Shakyamuni Buddha’, an official of the Ministry of Culture said in a statement.

The sacred relics, recognised as a National Treasure of India, were brought to the capital city of Elista by a high-level delegation, led by Keshav Prasad Maurya, Deputy Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, and including senior Indian monks.

The delegation is conducting special religious services and blessings for the predominantly Buddhist population of Kalmykia, the only region in Europe where Buddhism is the predominant religion, said the statement.

The spiritual fervour has been palpable since the exposition began on October 11, it said.

“Today, a queue of devotees stretched nearly one kilometre from the monastery, highlighting the profound resonance of this event. The Golden Abode, a significant Tibetan Buddhist centre that opened in 1996 and is situated in the vast Kalmyk steppe, has witnessed a continuous inflow of pilgrims since early morning,” said the statement.

This historic exposition, the first of its kind in the Russian Republic, is a testament to the deep civilizational bonds between India and Russia, said the official.

“It revives the enduring legacy of the 19th Kushok Bakula Rinpoche, the revered Buddhist monk and diplomat from Ladakh, who was instrumental in reviving Buddhism in Mongolia and reigniting interest in the Buddha Dharma in Russian regions like Kalmykia, Buryatia, and Tuva,” he said.

The event has been organised by the BTI section of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, in collaboration with the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC), the National Museum, and the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA).
IANS