Monks and nuns from Malaysia, China visit Buddhist sacred sites in Pakistan
centuries-old Buddhist site continue to attract tourists, pilgrims and historians
Islamabad: Dozens of Buddhist monks and nuns have arrived in Pakistan from Malaysia, Indonesia and China to visit their sacred sites in Pakistan.
The delegation from three countries was received by officials of the Department of Archaeology and Museums who briefed them on the historical and archaeological importance of the Buddhist sites in Pakistan.
They were surprised to see one of the world’s biggest collections of Buddhist artefacts at the Peshawar Museum. On March 16, the Malaysian delegation along with scholars from Taxila Institute of Asian Civilisation toured the world heritage site Julian, part of the Taxila, one of the most important Buddhist archeological sites in the world.
The ancient city of Taxila which is now a place of pilgrimage for thousands of tourists has served as a sanctuary and centre of learning where people from central and western Asia came in search of knowledge or business. Taxila is where the world’s earliest university was established and flourished some 2,700 years ago.
Ancient Pakistan was home to centuries-old civilisations including Gandhara (550 BC to 1021 AD), making it a revered destination for followers of Buddhism.
The pilgrims from China, Malaysia and Indonesia also visited the world heritage site of Takht-i-Bahi where they were overwhelmed to see the well-preserved earliest Buddhist establishment.
The historic Buddhist monastic complex of Takht-i-Bahi (Throne of Origins), founded in the early 1st century, is listed as a world heritage site and one of the most well-structured Buddhist monasteries in Pakistan’s Gandhara region which continues to attract historians and tourists from all over the world. The Gandhara kingdom thrived in what is now northwestern Pakistan in around 1000 BC and lasted for over 1000 years.
Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province is home to around 2,000 heritage sites in addition to 30,000 relics of the Gandhara civilization. The provincial government officials say that they are working to protect ancient sites and develop infrastructure “promote the province as a hub of religious tourism.”
Dr Abdul Samad, KP director for archaeology and museums, told Gulf News that “only about five per cent of the sites in KP province have been scientifically explored.” His department and Pakistani archaeologists are doing their best to protect and restore Pakistan’s “undiscovered treasures and its multicultural identity.”