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About Us
 

Publisher/Explorer
Peace Pilgrim

The Buddhist Heritage is a Research Team exploring the forgotten sites in India with a view to restore and preserves them. It also intends to persuade respective State Governments (where sites exit) to include them to the pilgrimage circuit.

The Buddhist Heritage was founded in May 2000 by Suresh Bhatia (Peace Pilgrim), a long time explorer of ancient Buddhist sites and a peace activist. Since then, the research team has expanded to a number of dedicated Scholars, Archaeologist, Photographers and Media Persons, contributing large periods of time exploring sites that were on the verge of being lost forever. Now as a part of its future venture, this organization intends to help students from Asian and Western countries’ university scholars to expand their study in Indian Buddhist History.

 
 

The Buddhist Heritage have a variety of projects their outlines are herewith mentioned:

JOURNAL:
A monthly Online Journal entitled "The Buddhist Heritage" registered with the Registrar of Newspapers and Publications, New Delhi, India. It will be the voice of "Asia's Buddhist World" and will cover features on the forgotten sites, news, research findings and explorations etc. A major portion of the journal will be devoted to research on neglected sites in India. We invite Scholars, Archaeologists, Explorers and Research Persons to join us in this venture.

ANNUAL CONFERENCE: Every year in December, the Buddhist Heritage intends to hold an International Conference of Scholars, Archaeologist, Explorers and Research Persons, Government Organizations etc. The main objectives of these conferences will be to resolve problems in the preservation of sites and monuments, changes in Government Laws, stricter laws to curb looting and smuggling of images as well as discussions as well as implementation of more modern methods to manage sites and museums etc.

EXPLORATION OF BUDDHIST SITES IN INDIA:
The Chinese Pilgrims (5th and 7th Century A.D.) were the first to explore the sites related to the life and travels of the Buddha. These sites were mentioned in the scriptures as well as marked by Asoka the Mauryan Emperor. It was only in the 19th century that the British Officers in India re-visited a large portion of these sites, excavated and restored some of them. We are grateful for the records left behind by them. There are still a fairly large number of sites that have yet to be excavated. Taking into consideration that India's population continues to boom, hence land has become scarce, especially in village areas, and there is a danger that if the ancient Buddhist remains are not saved now, they could be destroyed and modern buildings could possibly be constructed over them-thus we could loose important pieces of history forever due to sheer neglect.
In Bihar, the land where the Buddha attained Enlightenment, there are over 200 sites yet to be excavated, preserved and brought on to the pilgrimage list. There is an equally large amount of sites in other States that need immediate attention.
The Buddhist Heritage has a research team travelling to these sites (often to very remote villages) to photograph what exist of these monuments and update history. These records will soon be available on this website; many will also be mentioned in the Journal we publish. We will also be inter-acting with the respective Government Departments to explore and implement concrete plans for converting some of these sites to centres of Pilgrimage.
The Buddhist Archaeological Research Society: We propose setting up of the Buddhist Archaeological Research Society. Plans are under way to register this ‘Society’ with a view to establish an Institution, which will impart studies in Buddhist History, Research facilities etc. to scholars from India, Asian Buddhist countries and western students.

OUR OTHER PROJECTS:

Photo Galleries: To facilitate pilgrims visiting established Buddhist Sites such as Lumbini, Bodh Gaya, Sarnath, Kushinagar, Nalanda etc. We plan to establish photo galleries, so that Asian and International pilgrims on a fixed itinerary may be able to get exposure to the rich Buddhist Heritage of India.

Television Projects: As part of our project, we also intend to produce a Television serial entitled "The Foot Steps of a Pilgrim". This serial will cover the path taken by the Chinese Pilgrims, the British Archaeologists.... and what is left of these sites today. This serial will also portray the travels of the Peace Pilgrim, his impressions of the sites and interaction with the local inhabitants, setting up of schools and offering assistance to the unemployed youth by way of self-employment projects etc.
We also intend to produce authentic Guide Books, C.D. ROMS and a number of other publications for the serious travellers.

Web Site: Our websites, apart from being an introduction to our projects, will in the near future, be the most comprehensive "data base" of forgotten sites in India. Some of its special features will be a "Web Alert" on stolen Buddhist images in India. We shall also link-up with similar organizations globally working in locating ancient stolen images. We will also be installing an on-line 'Forum' whereby scholars wishing to interact on any particular subject may do so on this portal.