• About
  • Advertise
  • Careers
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
Monday, December 11, 2023
No Result
View All Result
Northeast News - Northeast India news 24×7
  • Assam
  • Meghalaya
  • Tripura
  • Mizoram
  • Manipur
  • Nagaland
  • Arunachal Pradesh
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    Tipra chief Pradyot decries Animal as ‘most misogynistic film’; joins national debate

    Tipra chief Pradyot decries Animal as ‘most misogynistic film’; joins national debate

    Brahmaputra Valley Film Festival returns for its 8th edition, starting Dec 14 in Guwahati

    Brahmaputra Valley Film Festival returns for its 8th edition, starting Dec 14 in Guwahati

    Shillong’s Rachel Rimeika Jyrwa crowned Miss Hornbill International 2023

    Shillong’s Rachel Rimeika Jyrwa crowned Miss Hornbill International 2023

    Iconic Assamese artiste Arun Das passes away at 70

    Iconic Assamese artiste Arun Das passes away at 70

    Love in Imphal: Randeep, Lin’s Meitei matrimony takes centre stage

    Love in Imphal: Randeep, Lin’s Meitei matrimony takes centre stage

    R&B star Sean Kingston’s NE tour to kick off with Dimapur on Dec 28

    R&B star Sean Kingston’s NE tour to kick off with Dimapur on Dec 28

    Randeep, Lin seek divine blessings for peace in Manipur ahead of tomorrow’s wedding

    Randeep, Lin seek divine blessings for peace in Manipur ahead of tomorrow’s wedding

    From mohanveena to rock: Hornbill Music Festival unveils stellar lineup for 2023

    From mohanveena to rock: Hornbill Music Festival unveils stellar lineup for 2023

    Revisit nostalgic ‘90s: Vengaboys to headline festivals in Mizoram, Meghalaya this December

    Revisit nostalgic ‘90s: Vengaboys to headline festivals in Mizoram, Meghalaya this December

  • Opinion
  • Assam
  • Meghalaya
  • Tripura
  • Mizoram
  • Manipur
  • Nagaland
  • Arunachal Pradesh
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    Tipra chief Pradyot decries Animal as ‘most misogynistic film’; joins national debate

    Tipra chief Pradyot decries Animal as ‘most misogynistic film’; joins national debate

    Brahmaputra Valley Film Festival returns for its 8th edition, starting Dec 14 in Guwahati

    Brahmaputra Valley Film Festival returns for its 8th edition, starting Dec 14 in Guwahati

    Shillong’s Rachel Rimeika Jyrwa crowned Miss Hornbill International 2023

    Shillong’s Rachel Rimeika Jyrwa crowned Miss Hornbill International 2023

    Iconic Assamese artiste Arun Das passes away at 70

    Iconic Assamese artiste Arun Das passes away at 70

    Love in Imphal: Randeep, Lin’s Meitei matrimony takes centre stage

    Love in Imphal: Randeep, Lin’s Meitei matrimony takes centre stage

    R&B star Sean Kingston’s NE tour to kick off with Dimapur on Dec 28

    R&B star Sean Kingston’s NE tour to kick off with Dimapur on Dec 28

    Randeep, Lin seek divine blessings for peace in Manipur ahead of tomorrow’s wedding

    Randeep, Lin seek divine blessings for peace in Manipur ahead of tomorrow’s wedding

    From mohanveena to rock: Hornbill Music Festival unveils stellar lineup for 2023

    From mohanveena to rock: Hornbill Music Festival unveils stellar lineup for 2023

    Revisit nostalgic ‘90s: Vengaboys to headline festivals in Mizoram, Meghalaya this December

    Revisit nostalgic ‘90s: Vengaboys to headline festivals in Mizoram, Meghalaya this December

  • Opinion
No Result
View All Result
Northeast News - Northeast India news 24×7
No Result
View All Result
Home Assam

Top monk of holiest Buddhist shrine in Bodh Gaya is from Assam

Subir BhaumikbySubir Bhaumik
November 26, 2022
in Assam
Top monk of holiest Buddhist shrine in Bodh Gaya is from Assam

Photo credit: Mrinal Chakma

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Bodh Gaya: What Mecca is for Muslims and Vatican for Catholic Christians, Bodh Gaya is for Buddhists.

The town houses Buddhism’s holiest shrine because Lord Buddha attained enlightenment under the Bodhi tree in a place where the majestic Maha Bodhi temple stands.

The Mahabodhi Temple in the town boasts of a 289-kilogram Golden Dome gifted by Thai devotees and several Buddha statues including one 80 feet high (installed by a Japanese temple) and another commissioned by women monks.

Among the four places held most sacred by Buddhists, the Mahabodhi temple complex in Bodh Gaya, located about 115 km south of Patna, is the most visited. Devotees visit from across the globe.

The other three, Lumbini in Nepal, where he was born; Kusinagar, where he attained Mahaparinirvana; and Sarnath, where he gave his first sermon, are equally important. But, Bodh Gaya is special. It is here Siddharth the restless and inquisitive prince turned Buddha, the enlightened.

The chief monk of the Mahabodhi Temple is Chalinda Bhikkhu who hails from Assam.

“I am from Pathargaon in Jorhat,” Chalinda Bhikkhu (also called Bhante) told me as I started to interview him in Assamese.

He last visited Assam a year ago but fondly remembers his roots.

When I sought his interview by calling him in Assamese, Chalinda Bhikkhu immediately agreed.

“Ahijaok, apunar Karone rokhiasu (come over, I am waiting for you),” he responded.

I later found he usually avoids the media because the local media once even falsely accused him of Chinese links.

“Before 2017, lots of Chinese Buddhist pilgrims used to come to Bodh Gaya.  There was a Chinese lady who came and prayed here. Later she was detained in Delhi for spying. Since I bless so many pilgrims, it was natural I had blessed her. The police came to me to check on her and the local media promptly misrepresented it as my having links with the Chinese spy,” Chalinda Bhikkhu recounted with a tinge of sorrow.

But that did not diminish Chalinda Bhikkhu’s religious prestige. Held in high esteem in the Buddhist world, he has remained the head monk of Buddhism’s most visited religious shrine.

Five lakhs pilgrims visited the Mahabodhi Temple every year, most of them from the Buddhist dominant countries of Southeast and East Asia.

During Chalinda Bhikkhu’s stewardship, the temple has attracted huge donations including 289 kgs of gold that now makes up the dome of the temple. “This was entirely donated by the devotees from Thailand,” Chalinda Bhikkhu said.

He has spent 22 years in service of Buddhism at the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya before which he studied Buddhism at Nalanda Mahavihara, a leading school of Buddhism.

Now 57, Chalinda Bhikkhu follows a strict dietary regimen and meditative discipline.

Tags: AssamBodh gaya
Subir Bhaumik

Subir Bhaumik

Subir Bhaumik is former BBC East India Correspondent.

Related Posts

ULFA-I owns up to grenade blasts in Assam; issues warning to DGP GP Singh

ULFA-I owns up to grenade blasts in Assam; issues warning to DGP GP Singh

byNortheast News
December 10, 2023
0

GUWAHATI: The United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I) has asserted responsibility for the recent grenade blasts in Assam's Tinsukia and...

Assam CM unveils plan to weed out forged names from NRC, seeks expert input

Assam CM unveils plan to weed out forged names from NRC, seeks expert input

byNortheast News
December 10, 2023
0

GUWAHATI: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has revealed a strategic plan to eliminate names acquired through forgery from the National...

Inside Chief Minister’s office: Assam CM’s second year unveiled in two books

Inside Chief Minister’s office: Assam CM’s second year unveiled in two books

byNortheast News
December 10, 2023
0

GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's second year in office has been encapsulated in two insightful books, Mukhya Mantrir...

Assam embraces linguistic diversity: Tribal languages set to enrich basic education curriculum

Assam embraces linguistic diversity: Tribal languages set to enrich basic education curriculum

byNortheast News
December 10, 2023
0

GUWAHATI: The Assam government has unveiled plans to introduce tribal languages into the basic education curriculum. The initiative aims to...

B’desh’s ex-Chief Information Commissioner addresses 7th Dr. Anamika Ray National Media Lecture

B’desh’s ex-Chief Information Commissioner addresses 7th Dr. Anamika Ray National Media Lecture

byNortheast News
December 8, 2023
0

GUWAHATI: The 7th Dr. Anamika Ray National Media Lecture was held virtually on Friday with Prof. Md. Golam Rahman, the...

APSC cash-for-job scam widens: Assam Governor suspends 4 ACS officers

SIT makes fifth arrest in APSC cash-for-job scam; Nagaon Tax Superintendent in net

byNortheast News
December 8, 2023
0

GUWAHATI: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) intensified its crackdown on the Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) cash-for-job scam, making its...

Next Post
Eknath Shinde at Kamakhya temple

Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde, ministers offer puja at Kamakhya temple in Guwahati

Sushmita Lara Dutta Sangai festival

Miss Universe Sushmita Sen, Lara Dutta star attraction of Manipur Sangai Festival 2022

Tiny Fingers from Israel to perform at Hornbill Music festival

Tiny Fingers from Israel set to rock Toyota Hornbill Music Festival 2022 in Nagaland

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recommended

Arunachal’s gross state domestic product soars by 117% in past 7 years: Deputy CM

Arunachal’s gross state domestic product soars by 117% in past 7 years: Deputy CM

2 months ago
Meghalaya CM launches solar mission to light up state’s green energy vision

Meghalaya CM launches solar mission to light up state’s green energy vision

4 months ago

Popular News

  • Awami League hopefuls, their Indian connect and electoral tickets for consideration

    Awami League hopefuls, their Indian connect and electoral tickets for consideration

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Partisan charge against BEC as poll panel rejects Awami League ‘dummy’ candidates’ nomination appeals

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Bangladesh EC rejects without reason appeal against AL nominee for Netrakona-4 seat

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Huge arms cache, including 1052 AK-47 rounds, seized in Meghalaya; Mizoram man arrested

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Assam Government Holiday List 2024

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

About Us

Northeast News is a digital only news platform covering Northeast India news 24×7. As Northeast India states – Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh hardly get any news coverage in the mainstream media, we are here to be ‘Vocal for Local’.

Category

  • Arunachal Pradesh
  • Assam
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Manipur
  • Meghalaya
  • Mizoram
  • Nagaland
  • Opinion
  • Politics
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Tech
  • Tripura
  • Uncategorized

Site Links

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Careers
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer

© 2022 All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Assam
  • Meghalaya
  • Tripura
  • Mizoram
  • Manipur
  • Nagaland
  • Arunachal Pradesh
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Opinion

© 2022 All Rights Reserved.