Thursday marked the beginning of a pilgrimage to India for a
127-strong group of Buddhist monks, making the journey to cleanse
their souls.
Organized by the Shanghai Buddhist Association, the group will
visit New Delhi and holy sites including Sarnath, Buddh Gaya and
Nalanda over a period of 10 days.
"Our predecessors Fa-hsien, Xuanzang and Kumarajiva created the
tremendous history of Sino-Indian exchange. We start our journey
today to further develop the friendship," said Master Juexing,
Vice-Chairman of the Chinese Buddhist Association and head of the
group.
The first 26 monks have landed in India with the rest departing
on Friday.
The devotees will hold religious ceremonies along the banks of
the Ganges River, the largest river in India with waters revered
for their holy nature, commemorate Sakyamuni, plant bodhi trees and
pray for peace between China and India.
"At the beginning of the China-India Year of Friendship, the
journey is significant as a religious and cultural exchange between
the two nations," said Nirupama Rao, ambassador of India to
China.
Most Chinese are familiar with the pilgrimage of Xuanzang to
India more than 1,300 years ago.
The trials and tribulations he experienced on his way to
Buddhist enlightenment were depicted in the classical work of
fiction "Journey to the West", also known as the "Monkey King".
(Xinhua News Agency January 5, 2007)