Leh accords grand reception to ‘Pad Yatra for World Peace’

Source: statetimes.in

TSEWANG RIGZIN
LEH: A number of religious and political organisations of Leh accorded a grand reception to Pad Yatra at Shey, as around 200 monks, nuns and laypersons from Thailand reached Leh after a strenuous month-long ‘Pad Yatra (peace march) for World Peace’ from Bodhgaya via Dharamsala to Ladakh on foot.

The delegates of Pad Yatra started their journey from Bodhgaya last month after offering prayers at sacred Mahabodhi temple. After having an audience with Dalai Lama in Dharamsala and seeking his blessings on 25th May, the Sangha members embarked on a month-long spiritual journey on foot towards Ladakh, crossing the high Himalayan terrain. The yatra was led by lord Abbot of Royal Thai Temple, Singburi province in Thailand, Phrateppariyattisuthi Thongsuk and was organised in collaboration with Mahabodhi International Meditation Centre (MIMC), Leh. This was the 4th consecutive year of historic Dhamma Pad Yatra.

A number of leaders from different communities also took part in concluding part of Pad Yatra, for about 10 Km from Shey village to Central Institute of Buddhist Studies (CIBS) Choglamsar, and prayed for world peace. President Ladakh Gonpa Association, Gelong Shatup Chamba; Skyabje Tokdan Rinpoche, Dy Chairman LAHDC Leh, President Municipal Committee Leh Dr Isehy Namgyal, Vice President Ladakh Buddhist Association (LBA) P T Kunzang, LBA Youth President Konchok Stag, LBA Women Wing President Rinchen Lamo, President Anjuman-Moin-Ul Islam Dr Abdul Qayom, President Anjuman Immamia Ashraf Ali Barcha, President Christian Association Dechen Chamgha, President District Congress Committee Tsering Namgyal, President Bar Association Leh Mohd Shafi Lasu, President All Ladakh Tour Operators Association Tsetan Angchok, Chief Patron Sindhu Darshan Yatra Samiti, Sr. RSS Pracharak Indresh Kumar and a number of people received the delegation of monks, nuns and laypersons on their arrival in Leh and also took part in the last leg of peace march.

Congratulating the delegates for a successful month-long Yatra for World Peace, founder-President MIMC, Bhikkhu Sanghasena expressed gratitude to all leaders from different communities of Leh for extending a warm welcome to the delegates from Thailand.

The Pad Yatra concluded at CIBS with inauguration of a three-day International Conference on ‘World Peace’, ‘150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi’, and ‘Preservation of Cultural Heritage of Himalayas’ in Acharya Nagarjuna Auditorium of CIBS. The conference is being organised by MIMC in collaboration with Save the Himalayas Foundation, New Delhi; Nava Nalanda Mahavihara, Nalanda; Central Institute of Buddhist Studies (CIBS), Leh and Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages, Leh.