1,100 km in 43 days: A walking pilgrimage through Buddhist circuit to mark 50 years of India-South Korea diplomatic ties

The walking pilgrimage will begin from Sarnath in Varanasi and culminate at Shravasti after traversing through Nepal.

Written by: Divya A

2 min readNew DelhiFeb 7, 2023 12:15 PM IST

The tourists will visit Buddhist pilgrimage sites in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in India and subsequently move to Nepal to see Buddha’s birthplace in Lumbini. (Express file photo by Partha Paul)

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1,100 km in 43 days: A walking pilgrimage through Buddhist circuit to mark 50 years of India-South Korea diplomatic ties

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A group of 108 Buddhist monks from South Korea will walk over 1,100 kilometres in the next 43 days — from February 9 to March 23 — tracing the Buddha’s footsteps and life journey in India. The walking pilgrimage will begin from Sarnath in Varanasi and culminate at Shravasti after traversing through Nepal.

Organised by Sangwol Society of South Korea, the pilgrimage also marks 50 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries. “The occasion gains importance as India and South Korea celebrate 50 years of establishing diplomatic ties,” said Apurva Chandra, secretary of the Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry.

The pilgrimage aims to increase friendship and collaboration between the two countries. The tourists will visit Buddhist pilgrimage sites in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in India and subsequently move to Nepal to see Buddha’s birthplace in Lumbini.

Walking in the footsteps of Buddha!

‘Oh We! Oh Love! Oh Life!’

1⃣1⃣6⃣7⃣kms, 4⃣3⃣ days.

The fourfold community of Korean #Buddhism – Monks, Nuns, Male & Female Lay Buddhists will take part in ‘Sangwol Society Walking Pilgrimage’ from February 9th.

📽️#Watch this to know more👇 pic.twitter.com/6L6qXnR2HQ

— Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (@MIB_India) February 7, 2023

Chandra further stated it was the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the Buddhist tourism circuit in India is taken to the world. The circuit seeks to help tourists experience Buddha’s teachings first-hand and traces his footsteps during his lifetime. The sites to be covered during the pilgrimage span the life of Buddha from his birth to his Parinirvana.

Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to India, Chang Jae-bok, said 2023 is a special year for bilateral relations as the 50-year milestone coincides with India’s G20 presidency and South Korea is committed to India’s success at G20.

The Ambassador further remarked that Buddhist teachings are similar to the motto of India’s G20 presidency: ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’.

He said thousands of tourists visit India from South Korea every year.

Divya A

Divya A reports on travel, tourism, culture and social issues - not necessarily in that order - for The Indian Express. She's been a journalist for over a decade now, working with Khaleej Times and The Times of India, before settling down at Express. Besides writing/ editing news reports, she indulges her pen to write short stories. As Sanskriti Prabha Dutt Fellow for Excellence in Journalism, she is researching on the lives of the children of sex workers in India. ... Read More

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