Ex-prez Ram Nath Kovind inaugurates Tripitaka chanting ceremony in Bodh Gaya

Former president Ram Nath Kovind on Friday inaugurated the 17th International Tripitaka chanting ceremony, a Buddhist ritual, at the Mahabodhi Mahavihara temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in Bodh Gaya in Bihar.The 10-day programme is expected to be attended by 4,000 devotees from nine countries.

Former president Ram Nath Kovind on Friday inaugurated the 17th International Tripitaka chanting ceremony, a Buddhist ritual, at the Mahabodhi Mahavihara temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in Bodh Gaya in Bihar.

The 10-day programme is expected to be attended by 4,000 devotees from nine countries. During the ceremony, Buddhist monks chant teachings of Lord Buddha under the sacred Bodhi Tree. ''Inaugurated the 17th International Tipitaka Chanting Ceremony at Mahabodhi Temple, Bodh Gaya. It is a great pleasure to be in the vicinity of the Sacred Bodhi Tree, a place that I always cherish deeply in my heart. May the spiritual vibes of Buddhism keep enlightening us forever,'' Kovind said on Twitter.

Talking to reporters here, Nawaphonphat Onhim, a Buddhhist monk from the US, said, ''The chanting session will be organised in two parts every day. The first one will be held from 7 am to 11 am and the second will be from 1.30 pm to 5 pm.'' Meanwhile, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and her family members on Friday offered 'pind daan' at a temple here for the salvation of their ancestors' souls. They performed rituals and 'jal tarpan' on the bank of the Falgu river and at the Vishnupad temple for peace and salvation of their ancestors' souls. They also visited Mahabodhi temple in Gaya.

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