Why in news? Team from Buddhavanam project visits Buddhist rock caves in Sri Lanka

Highlights:

• Team visited the third century BC Buddhist rock cut caves at Mathale in Sri Lanka, where the teachings of Lord Buddha were scribbled for the first time on palm leaves.
• Buddha’s teachings called Tripitaka (Sutta, Vinaya and Abhidhamma pitakas) were transmitted orally until that time, then they were written on palm leaves under the auspices of Sri Lankan king Devanampiya Tissa, a contemporary of King Ashoka.

About Buddhavanam Project

• It is a tourism project in Nagarjuna Sagar, Telangana created by the Telangana State Tourism Development Corporation
• The project was sanctioned by the Indian Government through Integrated Development of Nagarjunasagar as part of Lower Krishna valley Buddhist circuit
• It aims to attract large number of domestic and foreign tourists particularly from the South-East Asian countries

What are the features of the project?

• It will be Asia’s biggest Buddhist spiritual centre, to treasure Buddhist relics, comprising numerous cultural remains dating back to the 3rd century AD
• The project site also has several Mesolithic and Neolithic age grooves located along the left bank of the Krishna River.
• The centre of attraction of Buddhavanam project is hollow Maha Stupa commemorating the ancient Amaravati stupas, constructed at the centre of the project site.

What are the themes of the project?

• It is divided into eight thematic segments
• Buddhacharitavanam
• Jatakavanam (Bodhisattva Park)
• Dhyanavanam (Meditation Park)
• Stupavanam,
• Mahastupa,
• Buddhist Education Centre,
• Hospitality units
• Wellness Centre.
• These segments depict major events from the life of Siddhartha Gautama and his previous birth stories, miniature stupas of national and international models.