Hindu Ceremony For Peace In Bhutan

Source: www.kuenselonline.com
Tuesday,March30,2010

DAMPHU, BHUTAN, : The Hindu religious ceremony, Shri Mudh Bhagwat Puran, organised by Hindu dharma foundation of Bhutan, drew some 1,500 people to the Hindu-Buddhist temple in Damphu. The six-day ceremony will promote and preserve the country’s rich cultural heritage and pray for peace, prosperity and the well being of the country, its king and people.

An executive member of the foundation, Pundit Dr. P.L. Nirola, said that, through the ceremony, religious morals and principles will be imparted to common people. “We’ll recite religious epics like Bhagwat Mahapuran,” he said. The epic, he explained would educate people on the importance of being a good human being and teach the basic principles of dharma.

The Hindu dharma foundation of Bhutan, formed last October, is conducting religious talks for people in the six southern districts. “We’re also collecting information on how many mandirs (Hindu temples), pundits (Hindu priests), parshalas (schools) and Sanskrit students we have in the country,” Dr Nirola said.

Tsirang lam neten Wangdi said the ceremony promoted peaceful co-existence, compassion and reverence for all sentient beings. Religion, he said, was an important component of gross national happiness and the Constitution guaranteed religious freedom to all citizens. “It’s important to respect all religions,” the lam neten said.

[HPI note: To read more about Bhutanese Hindus (a poignant story that begins with the expulsion from the country of one-sixth of the population and finds a new hope in America) read the Hinduism Today article here.