Coming to India: 108 Korean Buddhist monks, to walk 1200 km to visit 7 Buddhist locations
NEW DELHI: In the biggest-ever pilgrimage of Korean Buddhists to India, a big contingent of 108 Korean Buddhist pilgrims including monks will soon reach the country. They will walk for 1200 kilometers for 43 days to visit 7 sacred Buddhist locations here. As many as 5000 Korean nationals living in India are likely to join the event.
As reported by Asian Community News Network (ACN Network) earlier in its news article “Commemorative logo for 50th anniversary of Korea-India diplomatic relations released” dated Dec 10, Chang Jae-bok, Ambassador the Republic of Korea to India had said that a very large group of Buddhist monks are planning to visit famous Buddhist sites in India in the golden jubilee year of India-Korea diplomatic ties, during February-March 2023.
Ambassador announced the arrival of the Korean Buddhists monks on December 10 (the India-Korea Friendship Day) last year during an event organized at the Indo-Korean Friendship Park in New Delhi. The commemorative 50th anniversary logo was also launched on this day.
The upcoming biggest-ever pilgrimage of Korean Buddhists to India is also a part of the ongoing 50th-anniversary celebrations of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and South Korea.
Though the bilateral consular relations between India and South Korea were established in 1962 but were upgraded to Ambassador-level on 10th December in 1973, thus completing 50 years in 2023.
In a significant development on May 19, 2021, South Korea’s one of the most prestigious and historic Buddhist temples Tongdosa temple listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site enshrined a Buddha statue gifted by India. This temple is situated some 420 km away from Seoul, the capital city of South Korea.
The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) on behalf of the Indian Government of India had gifted this 3.3 feet bronze Buddha statue in sitting posture to Korea in October last year.
Related article: Korean Temple enshrines Buddha statue gifted by India
Tongdosa Temple enjoys a special connection with India as it was built by the monks who had traveled to India and become part of the Buddha’s close circle of disciples.
ABOUT THE TONGDOSA TEMPLE
The Tongdosa temple is the main temple of the 15 dioceses of the Jogye order, which is the most powerful Buddhist order in the country, with over 6 million followers. The Tongdose temple is considered to be amongst the holiest as the original relics of the Sakyamuni Buddha are enshrined in its central hall.
The Tongdosa temple also runs 15 other smaller temples in the area. Ven. Hyun Moon, Head Monk of the Tengdosa temple, explained the temple’s history, emphasizing that the temple enjoys a very special connection with India, having been built by monks who had traveled to India and become part of the Buddha’s close circle of disciples. He added that the very location of the Tongdosa temple was influenced by the connection with India: it was built in the vicinity of the Yeongchuksan mountain range because the shape of this range resembles that of the mountain range near Rajagriha where the Buddha imparted the Buddha Dhamma to his disciples.
Head Monk of Tongdosa Temple specifically thanked the Indian Government stating that the Buddhist faith is especially happy to have a Buddha statue that had come to them all the way from India, the home of Buddha.
