A delegation of Sri Lankan Buddhist Monks visited Ashoka’s Rock Edict at Shahbazgarhi in Mardan district on Friday. Ashoka was a well-known Mauryan Emperor of South Asia, who succeeded to the throne in about 274 BC. The set of fourteen edicts at Shahbaz Garhi is written in local Kharoshti script and inscribed on two rocks. The name of the language used in these inscriptions is known as Gandhari Prakrit. Ashoka’s edicts are a unique proclamation of moral principles and religious toleration and they emphasise on the sanctity of both human and animal life. Earlier, the delegation of Sri Lankan Buddhist Monks also visited the Buddhist ruins of Jamal Garhi in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Friday. Jamal Garhi is an ancient site located 13 kilometres from Mardan city. Research says it was a Buddhist monastery from the first till the fifth century AD at a time when Buddhism flourished in this part of the Indian subcontinent. The Buddhist site of Jamal Garhi is divided into two parts; first is the Stupa Area and the second is the monastery complex. The Stupa Area is itself divided into three parts or courts. On the top is the Main Stupa Court. Below or in the middle is the Votive Stupas Court that has further been divided or arranged in two parts, upper votive Stupas court and lower votive Stupa court. Later, in an interview with state-run radio, senior Monk Dr Walpole Piyananda Thero expressed deepest gratitude to Prime Minister Imran Khan and the government of Pakistan for facilitating their visit to the sacred Buddhist sites. He also appreciated the steps taken for the preservation and upkeep of the Buddhist sites in the country. He said heritage has nothing to do with the religion as it belongs to everyone. A day earlier, the delegation of Sri Lankan Buddhist monks visited an archaeological site Sirkap in Taxila. The ancient remains of Sirkap for their outstanding historical and architectural importance have been declared to protect antiquity. Talking to the media on the occasion, a member of the delegation Dr Assaji Thero said that Taxila is one of the great places for the tourists to visit as it has a rich cultural and historical heritage.He said the relics at this place show how the followers of different religions including Buddhism, Hinduism and Christianity lived together with harmony. He said, “As a Buddhist place, we will highly encourage our people to come to Pakistan and visit Taxila from where they can get vast knowledge about the mix of cultures.”