Over 1200 Monks Gather To Celebrate Guru Padmasambhava’s Legacy

India-West News Desk

JAIPUR – Over 1200 Buddhist monks from 17 countries, including India, have gathered in Ratnagiri in Jaipur for the first Guru Padmasambhava Chanting Program, which began on January 13 and will continue until January 16. The event honors the spiritual legacy of Guru Padmasambhava, also known as Guru Rinpoche.

Rabindra Narayan Behera, Member of Parliament from Jajpur, Odisha, highlighted the district’s historical significance. “It is where the Vande Mataram was written and the Toshali Dynasty of King Ashoka existed in Radhanagar. This place was a seat of great intellectuals.”

A monk from America expressed the significance of the event, saying, “We are here to pray for Guru Rinpoche. The world is very uncertain, with the wildfires in Odisha and the earthquake in Tibet. We want to pray for peace.”

The head of the Padmasambhava monastery in Jiranga shared the long-held aspiration to hold such a gathering in Odisha, stating, “Many historians now believe that Guruji was born in Odisha and carried the Buddha Dharma to Tibet and the Himalayas.” He added that Guru Padmasambhava is revered as a second god, essential for the spread of Buddhism in Tibet, with Buddha Shakyamuni prophesying his arrival in the Parinirvana Sutra.

Delegates from countries including Bhutan, Laos, Thailand, and the United States are attending the event, which also features processions and public gatherings.

Sikkim Minister Sonam Lama expressed his hope that the Guru Rinpoche program will become an annual event in Odisha, boosting both spiritual tourism and local development. “Wherever there is a Buddhist shrine or holy place, it attracts many tourists and devotees. I want to see more tourists and devotees come to Ratnagiri, Lalitgiri, and Udaygiri,” he said.

Also Read: Indian Guru Padmasambhava Founded Buddhism in Tibet