The Andhra Pradesh Tourism Authority on Sunday attempted a world record through a collective chant led by senior monks for world peace and harmony, as part of the ongoing Buddhist Heritage Festival here.
Senior monks representing three rafts of Buddhism — Theravat, Mahayana and Vajrayana — were invited on to the dais to lead the chants, while the organisers facilitated livestreaming of the prayers here and appealed to people across the country and outside to log onto the website and join the chant seeking peace and harmony across the world.
Irrigation Minister Devineni Umamaheswara Rao said it was a proud moment for Amaravati, the capital of Andhra Pradesh, to host this heritage festival which had turned into a perfect platform to pray for world peace.
Treasure trove of relics
He said Andhra Pradesh had a treasure of Buddhist relics. Referring to the Buddhist heritage sites speckled across the State, he said Buddhism had flourished on this land.
He also referred to Acharya Nagarjuna, a close disciple of the Buddha.
The Minister, along with Chief Secretary Dinesh Kumar, Andhra Pradesh Tourism Corporation Chairman Jairami Reddy and State Tourism Authority CEO Himanshu Shukla, attended the event.
Mr. Dinesh Kumar expressed gratitude to the Buddhist monks who had come to the city from different places to become part of a congregation seeking world peace.
He also complimented the various cultural troupes that had been presenting colourful shows as part of the event.
The global peace chants were followed by a brilliant presentation of a ‘yak dance’ by artists of Arunachal Pradesh. Later, the artists were given mementoes by the dignitaries.
The three-day event is all about spiritual sermons, insightful discussions and cultural programmes. Artists from States like Maharashtra, Delhi, West Bengal and northeastern States have been roped in to entertain the crowd that gathered at the venue to get a peek into the fascinating layers of Buddhist heritage.
