Minister for Cultural Affairs K.C. Joseph on Sunday said the government was willing to construct a museum at Karumadi that focused on the life of Buddha in India.
He was speaking after inaugurating a function to commemorate the golden jubilee of the takeover of the Karumadikkuttan (ancient statue of Buddha) memorial by the Archaeological Department and the visit made by Dalai Lama at Karumadi in the year 1965. Mr. Joseph said the proposal put forth by the memorial committee to acquire the ‘puramboke’ land, adjacent to the Karumadikkuttan memorial, for development activities would be pursued.
He said the memorial provided a glimpse into certain aspects of the history of Kerala. It also served as a valuable remainder to many of Buddha’s teachings, many of which had immense relevance at present.
He urged the concerned civic bodies and the memorial committee to take up the responsibility of preserving the memorial and its premises.
A plaque having the engraving of the image of Dalai Lama would also be erected at the memorial, he said.
The Minister also released a guide of the Krishnapuram Palace museum, an online documentary on Karumadikkuttan and the trailer of Malayalam film ‘Buddha’ on the occasion.