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4 October, 2004
NEPAL
Nepal to host Second World Buddhist Summit
Kathmandu (AsiaNews/EDA) – Lumbini, a city in south-western Nepal, will host the Second World Buddhist Summit from November 30 till December 2. The gathering is organised by the Lumbini Trust Development (LDT), a company that manages the development of the city Buddhists venerate as the Buddha’s birthplace. “Over 250 Buddhist religious leaders and special guests from 35 different countries are expected to participate,” Nepal’s Minister of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Dip Kumar Upadhyay told a news conference on Thursday. Upadhyay, who is also LDT chairman, said the meeting was being held to “develop Lumbini as an attraction for all peace-loving people of the world.” The Summit’s opening session will be presided by Nepal’s King Gyanendra. South Asian heads of government and members of the royal families of Japan and Thailand are invited. LDT vice chairman Omkar Gauchan said that “the conference will adopt resolutions to set up a World Peace City at Lumbini.” Thus, according to Upadhyay, the city can “be to Buddhists what Mecca is to Muslims, i.e. a Buddhist holy site where they can worship and meditate for world peace”. The First World Buddhist Summit was held in 1998. The second summit was scheduled for 2001 but was postponed after then King Birendra and his family were killed by Prince Dipendra, who later shot himself. Last year, on the anniversary of the Buddha’s birth, King Gyanendra opened a restored a temple built to honour Maya Devi, Buddha's mother. Many countries with large Buddhist communities like Japan, Thailand, Myanmar, India, China and Sri Lanka have built monasteries in Lumbini, each reflecting their own culture and typical architecture. The city also has several museums and a sacred garden where, according to Theravada tradition, Buddha was born in 623 BC.

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