India’s Sacred Buddha Relics Draw 50,000 Devotees In Russia’s Kalmykia

KALMYKIA (RUSSIA)- Over 50,000 devotees, many of whom waited in queues stretching up to one kilometer, have paid homage at a monastery here which is hosting an exposition of India’s Sacred Relics of Lord Buddha, an official said.

The exposition from India has drawn an unprecedented response in the Republic of Kalmykia, Russia, he said.

As of October 19, over 50,000 devotees have paid their reverent homage to the relics, enshrined at the iconic Geden Sheddup Choikorling Monastery, popularly known as the ‘Golden Abode of Shakyamuni Buddha’, an official of the Ministry of Culture said in a statement.

The sacred relics, recognized as a National Treasure of India, were brought to the capital city of Elista by a high-level delegation including senior Indian monks.

The delegation is conducting special religious services and blessings for the predominantly Buddhist population of Kalmykia, the only region in Europe where Buddhism is the predominant religion.

The spiritual fervor has been palpable since the exposition began on October 11, it said.

This historic exposition, the first of its kind in the Russian Republic, is a testament to the deep civilizational bonds between India and Russia, said the official.

“It revives the enduring legacy of the 19th Kushok Bakula Rinpoche, the revered Buddhist monk and diplomat from Ladakh, who was instrumental in reviving Buddhism in Mongolia and reigniting interest in the Buddha Dharma in Russian regions like Kalmykia, Buryatia, and Tuva,” he said. (IANS)