'Peace Bells' at Nalanda, Rajgir soon

PATNA: The Light of Buddhadharma Foundation International (LBDFI), a US-based organisation, has decided to install two "Peace Bells" in Nalanda and Rajgir, alongside its on-going project to install a peace bell at Vaishali.

This will complete the installation of Peace Bells at all the eight major sites of Buddhist pilgrimage in the country.

A two-member team of the foundation led by Wangmo Wadmodixcy held a detailed meeting with Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) superintending archaeologist P K Mishra here on Tuesday. The team has submitted a detailed proposal to the ASI which would be finally approved by Union culture minister Ambika Soni, Mishra told TOI on Tuesday.

Bells are an important symbol in Buddhist culture, and these bells, weighing over 1.5 tonnes each, are the largest bronze bells to be erected in India and act as important landmark at these locations.

Plans are afoot to collaborate with the ASI in creating "Peace Gardens" at these pilgrimage sites containing gold plated plaques describing their importance and the "sutras" taught there.

The Peace Bells are cast in Germany and imported into India via the port of Kolkata. LBDFI will transport and install them at its own cost, and meet the costs of any landscaping, planting and furnishing required to create the "Peace Gardens" planned at these important locations.

The foundation will also contribute to the maintenance of these facilities so that they provide important benefits to visitors of all castes, creeds and races in future years, said an official.

LBDFI-India also sought collaboration with the ASI to address this problem as part of its overall aim to promote the Buddha Dharma within India. Each site will also receive other facilities, such as toilet and shower, and rest houses for pilgrims staffed with the Indian bhikkhus .