Nepal: Cultural diplomacy; reviving Gandhara civilization and buddhist heritage in Pakistan
Celina Ali
Islamabad: Nepal’s Ambassador to Pakistan, Tapas Adhikari on, 13 July, 2023, applauded the government of Pakistan’s fresh commendable efforts to promote the ancient Gandhara civilization and for organizing a symposium entitled “Cultural Diplomacy: Reviving Gandhara Civilization and Buddhist Heritage in Pakistan” in this regard to create awareness about Pakistan’s rich historical and cultural Buddhist Legacy.
The government of Pakistan’s fresh initiative to promote “Gandhara Tourism in Pakistan” is remarkable and commendable both.
Highlighting the rich Buddhist heritages in Nepal, “We can join hands together and explore the potential for collaboration between Nepal and Pakistan in revitalizing religious tourism”, he said while talking to Newswire.
Ambassador Adhikari expressed gratitude to the government of Pakistan for embarking on various initiatives to promote Buddhism and the Buddhist culture at a programme organized by the Embassy of Nepal in Islamabad on the sidelines of the Symposium on 12 July 2023.
The Ambassador highlighted that Nepal is a center of all three major schools of Buddhism, including Theravada, Mahayana and Bajrayana, and a lot of people from around the world, including from Pakistan, visit Nepal for spiritual quest.
The Ambassador also touched upon the contribution of Guru Padmasambabha also known as Guru Rimpoche who was born in ancient Udiyana which is presently called Swat Valley in Pakistan in promoting and spreading Buddhism in the region. He also underlined the importance of Takshyashila ( present day Taxila) and Gandhara in Buddhist literature.
The programme was well attended by the venerable Buddhist monks and Buddhist scholars from Nepal as well as by many Buddhist practitioners and enthusiasts. During the programme held at the Nepal Embassy in Islamabad, the attending Monks and scholars highlighted various aspects of Buddhist values such as non-violence, love, compassion, meditation etc. They also organized a small session of meditation for the participants.
Dr. Nadeem Omer Tarar, a scholar at Gandhara Chair, University of Wah, talking to APP said that the Symposium 2023 is the reaffirmation of Pakistan’s state commitment for the promotion of the Buddhist heritage as a symbol of global peace. By inviting monks from the Asian Buddhist communities and scholars from Pakistan and around the world in an engaging dialogue, the organizers of the Gandhara Symposium have set a precedent for successive regimes to follow.
Pakistan needs a public policy and institute to brand Pakistan as an attractive tourist destination for the Buddhist world.
Nepal is Pakistan’s friendly Buddhist neighbor which can play a vital role in boosting religious tourism if the air connectivity is restored, he added.
