If Buddha smiles

A recourse to the Valley8217;s past will boost tourism and project a heritage of peace, reports RIYAZ WANI

Year: 629 AD. Venue: Harwan, on the outskirts of Srinagar. Organiser: Kanishka, the great Kushan ruler. Event: the fourth Buddhist conference, attended by prominent Buddhist scholars all over the world under the legendary monk Nagarjuna. In his travelogue, Chinese pilgrim Hiuen Tsang described the grand conference that propagated the Mahayana school of Buddhism.

That was Kashmir fifteen centuries back when Tsang recorded the existence of about 100 monasteries inhabited by around 5,000 monks in the region.

Today, the state government8217;s plan to revive that history leads to a win-win formula. Showcasing Kashmir8217;s Buddhist past will further boost the tourism potential of the paradise on earth and project a heritage of peace in the strife-torn Valley.

In a detailed proposal submitted to the Centre, the Jammu and Kashmir government has sought help to restore the Valley8217;s 8220;built Buddhist heritage8221;. J-K8217;s Tourism secretary Naeem Akhter recommends the establishment of an Interpretation Centre which will highlight Buddhist heritage in Kashmir. 8220;It will promote a tourist circuit dedicated to the development of ancient Buddhist sites in the Valley,8221; he says.

The plan has received a fresh impetus following the decision of the Chinese government to make a documentary on Hiuen Tsang8217;s journey through South Asia. Kashmir had hosted the pilgrim for about two years 8212; from 631 to 633 8212; out of his total stay of twelve years in India. Besides, the move is also in keeping with the revivalist cultural trends in the region with even Pakistan celebrating a Ghandara week in April this year.

8220;Our goal is not to limit Kashmir8217;s identity to its breathtaking scenic beauty but also to reclaim our great past to diversify the state8217;s tourism appeal,8221; says Akhter, 8220;In the new age holidaying, nature alone is not enough, culture and heritage is equally important. So this recourse to our ancient roots8221;.

In fact, the proposed documentary on Hieun Tsang8217;s journey has already triggered a debate in the Valley8217;s tourism and academic circles. 8220;The film would be most fascinating and historically important as it is bound to generate tremendous interest in the ancient silk route as well as in the entire region. It will be a big boost to tourism,8221; says the former director-general of Kashmir tourism Muhammad Ashraf.

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Adds Professor Mushtaq A Kaw, director of the department of Central Asian Studies of Kashmir University: 8220;Kashmir8217;s space in the documentary is indispensable for many reasons. Abundant archaeological finds and material remains retrieved from different sites support Kashmir8217;s links with Buddhism8221;. The University held an international conference on 8220;central Asia in retrospect and prospect8221; this August with the silk route and Buddhism as the main theme.

8220;Kashmir8217;s heritage occupies an exalted place in South Asia but it has been consigned to the history,8221; says the noted Kashmiri historian Fida Hassain. 8220;It is time we reconnect with our past.8221;