A ceremony was held on December 6 in Varanasi city in India to inaugurate the Dai Loc pagoda of the Khmer Nam Tong (Vietnamese Theravada Trust).
The statue of Buddha setting in motion the wheel of the dharma at Dai Loc pagoda in India (Source: VNA)
Representatives of the Buddhist Church of Vietnam, the Vietnamese Government's Committee for Religious Affairs, Vietnamese Embassy in India and Varanasi government attended the event, along with around 10,000 Vietnamese and Indian Buddhist monks and nuns.
Addressing the ceremony, Vietnamese Ambassador to India Ton Sinh Thanh appreciated the efforts of the Venerable Thich Tuong Quang in building the Dai Loc pagoda. He expressed his belief that the pagoda would not only meet the spiritual needs of the Buddhist monks and nuns, but also contribute to further tightening the traditional friendship between the two peoples.
The Ambassador also gave his sincere thanks to the Varanasi city authorities who supported and helped Vietnam build the pagoda.
The construction of the pagoda began in 2009 on an area of 5,170 square metres with an investment of US$1.3 million. The pagoda also includes a statue of Buddha setting in motion the wheel of the dharma, measuring 18m high and weighing 700 tons.
Venerables Thich Thien Minh and Thich Tuong Quang were appointed President and Abbot of the Dai Loc pagoda, respectively.
The pagoda is expected to be a sanctuary for students studying for masters and doctoral degrees in Varanasi University and International Theravada University and direct Vietnamese expatriates and Buddhist monks in India towards their native land. The Dai Loc pagoda’s charity will be established to support poor people in India.
Nhan Dan Online
