The Hindu Business Line : Kalachakra opens up tourism avenues

KALACHAKRA, the Buddhist initiation and empowerment ceremony currently going on here over which the Dalai Lama is presiding, has kindled interest in the many Buddhist sites dotted across the State and the Tourism Department has ambitious plans to promote tourism on the Buddhist circuit in future.

It is stated by Buddhist scholars that of the eighteen sects of Indian Buddhism, nine had their base in the State and in particular Vajrayana (the esoteric school which later flourished in Tibet) had its origins here.

It is estimated that there are more than a hundred Buddhist sites in Andhra Pradesh and Amaravati, on the banks of the Krishna river in Guntur district, is by far the best known in the State.

Historically known as Dhanyakataka, Amaravati boasted of the biggest Mahachaitya stupa in the country then and it is believed to have once been the largest marble-surfaced dome in the world. The stupa, the foundation for which was laid during the reign of Asoka, attracted Buddhists from the Far East.

It is believed that the Buddha conducted the first Kalachakra ceremony here and because of its historical and religious significance it has been chosen. But the small town, of hardly 15,000-20,000 people, is hard-pressed to accommodate nearly 40,000 Buddhist monks and devotees. The State Government has made temporary arrangements for the ceremony, but they are inadequate.

Most of the monks and devotees are housed in make-shift tents and many locals have also rented out their houses, initially at fairly high rates ranging from Rs 20,000 to Rs 50,000 for a fortnight, but now many houses are lying vacant. Kalachakra began on January 5, but the main ritual will be conducted from January 12 for four days. Till then, preliminary purificatory rituals and drawing of Mandala (a diagrammatic representation) will be taken up.

Many of the rituals and chants remain inexplicable to the local tourists who throng the temple town, famous for its Siva temple on the banks of the Krishna. Their number is steadily increasing as the main ritual draws close.

According to Mr R. Sambasiva Rao, tobacco trader and the member of the Lok Sabha from Guntur, a stupa will be built here and attempts will be made to get some resident Buddhist monks to sustain the interest. A giant Buddha statue will be inaugurated by the Chief Minister later this week.

Kalachakra has placed a little known town in Andhra Pradesh on the national and international tourist map. It now remains for the Tourism Department to make the best use of it.