Lanka returns ‘a slice of history’

Twenty-three hundred years after Buddhism took roots in Sri Lanka when emperor Ashok sent his children with Buddha's message, the island nation has returned a slice of history to express its gratitude in symbolism. Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Friday planted saplings of the Buddha tree which itself had grown from the sapling of the peepal tree under which Prince Siddharth had attainted enlightenment in Bodhgaya.

It was from Sanchi, 45 km from Bhopal, that Emperor Ashok had sent his son Arahat Mahendra and daughter Theri Sanghamitra to Sri Lanka, about 300 years after Buddha attained enlightenment.

While laying the foundation stone of Sanchi University of Buddhist and Indic Studies, Rajapaksa said the sacred tree in his country was accepted as the oldest historically recorded tree in the world.

The saplings were planted at the foundation venue of the proposed university which will take shape over 100 acres, at a cost of Rs 300 crore with a promise to follow higher education patterned in classical Indian universities like Takshashila and Nalanda.

Rajapaksa said there was a need to revive the Buddhist and Indic value systems which paved way to modern concepts of human rights and fundamental freedom.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said a grand temple of Sita should be built at a place where Sita underwent agnipariksha (trial by fire) in Sri Lanka and that his government was ready to extend assistance. He also announced Bodhgaya would be included under the Mukhyamantri Teertha-Darshan Yojana under which senior citizens travel to various pilgrimage spots at government expense.

Meanwhile, MDMK leader Vaiko, who was picketing in Pandhurna on the MP-Maharashtra border, was arrested along with more than 700 supporters when they tried to defy prohibitory orders by leading a procession towards Sanchi, over 300 km away.

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