India: 70 Hindus convert to Buddhism in Bodh Gaya

Patna, Oct 27 (IANS) — The programme was organised by the Akhil Bharatiya Baudha Mahasangh (ABBM), a Buddhist outfit, Sunday (Oct 26).

Buddhist monk Bhante Pragyasheel performed the ceremony under the sacred Mahabodhi tree, under which Buddha attained enlightenment, in the presence of a large number of people.

An ABBM official said over 100 people had sent in applications expressing their desire to embrace Buddhism. He said some people from outside Bihar could not come for the ceremony because of unexpected bad weather and rains for the last four days.

The latest round of conversions is certain to come in for flak from Hindu rightwing organisations, which had criticised the conversion of Dalits to Christianity in the state’s Rohtas district earlier this month.

But in this case, most of those who embraced Buddhism were educated and well off unlike the socially underprivileged Dalits.

Bodh Gaya, where the Buddha attained enlightenment 2,500 years ago, is 110 km from this Bihar capital.

The town houses the 1,500-year-old Mahabodhi temple that Unesco declared a world heritage site in June last year, making it the 23rd site in India to be so honoured.