Sri Lanka to set up a special Court for Buddhist monks

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Colombo, Sri Lanka -- The Chief Justice of Sri Lanka Mohan Peiris has said that a special Sangha Court would be set up to hear cases involving Buddhist monks.

Peiris speaking at an event in Kandy said that there is a large number of cases involving monks in Kandy, Anuradhapura and Galle.

When the special Sangha court is set up monks will be required to appear at the court and proceedings will be completed within days and not postponed like other court proceedings, the Chief Justice has explained.

"It will be heard day to day and finished off so that we can turn to the public and say, look we are now delivering," Peiris has said.

He has added that the government is willing to invest in a better judiciary but they expect a positive return.

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Buddhist monks organise special prayers on World Heritage Day in Gaya

World Heritage Day is observed on April 18 with an aim to create awareness among the people for conservation of cultural heritage across the world.

World Heritage Day was first celebrated by International Council of Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) on 18 April 1982 in Tunisia, which was later also approved by UNESCO in 1983.

Buddhist monks and school children gathered at the Buddhist holy centre of Bodh Gaya in Gaya district and participated in the peace march.

A monk, Ashok Bansh, said: "Today is an important day as on the occasion of World Heritage Day, all the male and female monks have assembled over here and organised a special prayer for world peace, for the welfare of the world and for the protection of the world heritage site."

Buddha was born a prince at Lumbini in Nepal over 2,600 years ago. He left his wife and child at the age of 29 in search of divine knowledge and enlightenment and attained it beneath a banyan tree at Bodh Gaya in Bihar, after years of meditation.

There are several important Buddhist religious places - Bodh Gaya in Bihar, where Lord Buddha attained salvation, Sarnath, Kushinagar, where Lord Buddha breathed his last, Sanchi in Madhya Pradesh, an ancient seat of Buddhist learning, and several monasteries in Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.

India, in the recent past, has been promoting Buddhist tourism, and particularly targeting South East Asian countries, China and Japan, which have a sizeable Buddhist population.

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Keo Pagoda designated special national relic

Home Asia Pacific South East Asia Vietnam

Thai Binh, Vietnam -- The Keo Pagoda in Duy Nhat Commune, Vu Thu District, in northern Thai Binh Province, has been recognised as a special national relic for its unique historical, cultural, architectural and artistic values.

<< The Keo Pagoda in Thai Binh Province

The province held a ceremony on October 24 to receive the title and officially open the 2012 Keo Pagoda Autumn Festival.

After the first ceremonies, the delegates, along with many Buddhist monks, nuns, followers and tourists, offered incense in commemoration of Buddhist monk Duong Khong Lo and those who took part in the pagoda construction, from the 17th century.

Just over 130 km away from the capital Hanoi, Keo Pagoda, which was built in 1632, is an ancient building but has 102 rooms, more than any other pagoda in Vietnam.

There are two passages, which separate the pagoda from the temple. They are designed with curved roofs that join together at the 11.5m-high iron and wood bell tower.

The tower has three storeys, each of which possesses its own tiled roof and bronze bell.

The 108,000m2 pagoda is home to a wealth of ancient artefacts, which range from intricately engraved wooden dragons to a collection of over 100 statues.

It has also preserved many valuable antiques, such as a pair of candlesticks from the Mac Dynasty, pottery and altars from the Le Dynasty and several imperial boats.

The Keo Pagoda Autumn Festival is held annually from the 13th to 15th of the ninth lunar month, in honour of monk Duong Khong Lo, who is said to have cured King Le Thanh Tong from illness.

In addition to the traditional religious rituals that commemorate the Buddhist monk, the festival also hosts a variety of cultural activities that reflect the lifestyle of the Red River Delta’s agricultural communities.

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