Exposition of holy relics of Buddha in Russia's Kalmykia draws over 90,000 devotees
New Delhi (PTI): The exposition of a portion of the sacred relics of Lord Buddha, currently enshrined at a monastery in Russia's Kalmykia, has drawn more than 90,000 devotees since it was brought to that country a week ago, officials said.
The relics, originally enshrined at the at the National Museum here, was ferried to Russia in a special Indian Air Force aircraft and reached Elista, the capital city of the Republic of Kalmykia on October 11.
As part of the exposition, it was later temporarily enshrined in the main Buddhist monastery in Elista, known as the Geden Sheddup Choikorling Monastery, also called the "Golden Abode of Shakyamuni Buddha."
This is a significant Tibetan Buddhist centre, opened for the public in 1996 and is surrounded by the Kalmyk steppe, the Indian Culture Ministry earlier said.
Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha arrived in Elista on Friday, and will lead an Indian delegation that will accompany the holy relics when they are ferried back to India on October 19, the ministry said on Saturday.
The exposition will strengthen the people-to-people ties between India and Russia, he said during his interaction with local media after paying homage to the relics.
In a powerful display of spiritual devotion and shared cultural heritage, the exposition has drawn an "unprecedented response" in the Republic of Kalmykia, Russia. As of today, more than 90,000 devotees have paid their reverent homage to the relics, enshrined at the iconic Geden Sheddup Choikorling Monastery, the ministry said in a statement.
The sacred relics of the Buddha were earlier to be exhibited in Kalmykia from September 24-28 as part of an exposition. The delay happened due to "certain unforseen logistical and technical circumstances," sources earlier said.
On his arrival, Sinha was received by the First Deputy Chairman of the Government of Kalmykia, Tserenov Erdni Nikolayevich, Deputy Chairman Dzhambinov Ochir Vladimirovich and India’s Deputy Chief of Mission Nikhilesh Giri, the statement said.
The sacred relics, recognised as a national treasure of India, were brought to the capital city of Elista, accompanied by a high-level delegation led by Keshav Prasad Maurya, Deputy Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, and senior Indian monks.
The delegation is conducting special religious services and blessings for the predominantly Buddhist population of Kalmykia, the only region in Europe where Buddhism is the predominant religion, it said.
This historic exposition, the first of its kind in the Russian Republic, is a testament to the deep civilisational bonds between India and Russia, it further said.
It revives the enduring legacy of the 19th Kushok Bakula Rinpoche, the revered Buddhist monk and diplomat from Ladakh, who was instrumental in reviving Buddhism in Mongolia and reigniting interest in the Buddha Dharma in Russian regions like Kalmykia, Buryatia, and Tuva, the ministry said.
The event has been organised by the BTI section of the Ministry of Culture, in collaboration with the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC), the National Museum, and the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA).
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Trump returns from China; terms meeting with Xi as 'G-2'
Washington (PTI): US President Donald Trump returned from a visit to China, describing his discussions with President Xi Jinping as a meeting of leaders of "two great countries".
Trump landed at the Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on the outskirts of the US capital on Friday evening, claiming to have struck important trade deals, including one for China's purchase of 200 aircraft from Boeing, with a promise for another 750, as well as agreements benefiting the American agriculture sector.
The US President reached here after a brief refuelling stop at Anchorage in Alaska.
“It’s the two great countries. I call it the G-2. This is the G-2. I think it’ll go down as a very important moment in history,” Trump told Fox News in an interview after meeting Xi on Thursday.
The Washington Post reported that Trump’s remarks put China on an equal footing with the US, exactly what Xi had aimed to achieve with the visit.
“Over two days of meetings here, the carefully choreographed pageantry and the reciprocal gestures of friendship and respect between the world’s two most powerful men displayed a geopolitical dynamic that the Chinese have long craved and Americans had resisted," the Post said.
Trump told Fox News that the relationship with Xi was important and suggested that China may not resort to any aggressive moves over Taiwan, at least till he is in office.
“It’s not a takeover. They just don’t want to see this place — we’ll call it a place because nobody knows how to define it — but they don’t want to see it go independent,” Trump said.
“I don’t think they’ll do anything when I’m here. When I’m not here. I think they might, to be honest with you,” Trump said.
"I want them to cool down. I want China to cool down," he said.
"We're not looking to have wars, and if you kept it the way it is, I think China's going to be OK with that," he added.
The US President said he had invited Xi for a visit to Washington in September.
“Xi has done something Chinese leaders have been working toward for decades — bringing an American president to Beijing as an undisputed peer,” said Julian Gewirtz, who served as China director on the National Security Council under President Joe Biden.
“Xi used the opulent optics of the visit to make clear to the world that China and the United States are the two dominant, equally matched superpowers. There is no going back.”
Trump’s friendly statements toward Xi and the Chinese people were being amplified in China’s state-controlled media, sending the message that “we’re getting along better with the Americans,” John Delury, a senior Fellow at the Asia Society, was quoted as saying by The New York Times.
It was understandable that Trump wanted to be polite to Xi, but that the American president’s gushing approach “weakens Trump and the US”, R. Nicholas Burns, the ambassador to China during the Biden administration, was quoted as saying in The New York Times.
“Xi did not hesitate to warn Trump over Taiwan. Trump should not hesitate to be frank about our concerns, too,” he said.
Trump and Xi are expected to meet at least three times this year.
The US President has invited Xi to the White House in September.
Trump may travel to Shenzhen in China for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in November. And Xi could come to the G-20 summit in December in Miami.
“This is a summit again that was heavier on symbolism than it was on substance — focus on managing problems, not on solving the problems that exist between the US and China,” said Rush Doshi, former National Security Council deputy senior director for China and Taiwan in the Biden administration.
“The way that both leaders talked about the future indicates that this is going to be part of a process that will play out this year,” said Kurt Campbell, former deputy secretary of State in the Biden administration.
