Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: A 34-member Buddhist delegation from Sri Lanka has arrived in Pakistan to attend the Vesak Festival at Taxila.

The delegation is being led by Kanumuldeniye Chandavimala Mahanayaka Thero. It comprises senior monks, government officials and pilgrims. The festival will start on May 21 and continue till May 24.

Acting High Commissioner of Pakistan in Sri Lanka Dr Sarfraz Ahmed Khan Sipra and other officials were there to see-off the delegation at the Bandaranayake International Airport.

Despite being a predominantly Muslim country, Pakistan is celebrating the Vesak Festival and many countries are being invited for the festival.

On the sidelines of the Vesak Festival, the delegation will be visiting different sites of Buddhist spiritual and religious significance in Taxila such as Dharmarajika Stupa, Sirkap and Taxila Museum besides the visit of Takht-i-Bahi.

Pakistan has been cradle of Buddhist and Gandhara Civilization for well over 22 centuries. Buddhism left a monumental and rich legacy of art and architecture in Pakistan. Despite the vagaries of centuries, the Gandhara region preserved a lot of the heritage in craft and art. The Gandhara civilization flourished in the north-western region of Pakistan from the 6th Century BC to the 5th Century AD.

The territory of Gandhara civilization and its heritage is a triangular piece of land about 100 kilometers, east to west and 70 kilometers north to south, on the west side of the Indus River, surrounded by mountains in the present day Pakistan.

The Gandhara School of Art is credited as being the first creators of Buddha in human form carved in stone, stucco, terracotta and bronze. These were mostly enshrined in monasteries and stupas throughout the Gandhara region. A major portion of this invaluable heritage has been preserved in the museums and the sacred sites at their original locations.