{"id":249664,"date":"2025-03-01T17:46:18","date_gmt":"2025-03-01T17:46:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2025\/03\/01\/buddhist-soft-power-looking-for-the-middle-path\/"},"modified":"2025-03-01T17:46:19","modified_gmt":"2025-03-01T17:46:19","slug":"buddhist-soft-power-looking-for-the-middle-path","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2025\/03\/01\/buddhist-soft-power-looking-for-the-middle-path\/","title":{"rendered":"Buddhist soft power: Looking for the middle path"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Buddhist<\/div>\n
In the quiet darkness of Cave No. 5 of Ellora, past rows of stone slabs where monks might have sat, possibly meditated and dined, in circa 7th century AD, there is a cloud of maroon. A Tibetan Buddhist monk is standing before the seated Buddha<\/a>, tears pouring down his cheeks. He takes out his phone and captures the massive sculpture, the Bodhisattvas flanking it and the small cells carved into the cave where his religious forbears must have lived. This is sanctum and sanctuary for him.<\/p>\n

About 100 km away, a group of Japanese tourists are gingerly making their way through a narrow, semi-circular path that is cut into the middle of a rocky cliff in Aurangabad, Maharashtra. They gaze\u2014in the light of a torch and the night settings of their phone\u2014at the eloquent arch of Bodhisattva Padmapani\u2019s torso and his halfclosed eyes painted on Cave No. 1 of Ajanta. <\/p>\n

People who follow the Buddha\u2019s Middle Path, or those who are enamoured of this apostle of compassion, or are simply enchanted by the historical spots, some of them dating back to before the Common Era, travel to the places that dot what is called the Buddhist circuit. It stretches from Bodh Gaya<\/a> in Bihar to Nagarjunakonda in Andhra Pradesh.<\/p>\n

Buddhism<\/a>, which radiated to the south, north and east, is one of ancient India\u2019s greatest cultural exports. Now, India<\/a> wants to reclaim that glory and reassert its ownership. In her February 1 budget speech, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman pledged a renewed focus on destinations linked to the life and legacy of Lord Buddha. At first glance, it might appear to be a tourism push\u2014 to lure global travellers at a time when foreign tourist arrivals have yet to rebound to pre-Covid levels.<\/p>\n

But the government\u2019s push extends beyond global tourists and foreign exchange, two senior officials involved with the initiative tell ET. While one of the reasons is definitely to draw Buddhist tourists, mainly from Southeast Asia, the other is to leverage the Buddha\u2019s soft power on the global stage. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/h2>\n

TRAVELLING BUDDHA<\/h2>\n

Sample this: In June 2022, four sacred relics of the Buddha were taken out from a secure chamber in New Delhi\u2019s National Museum<\/a> and flown to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, aboard a special IAF aircraft for an exposition. Accompanied by a high-level Indian delegation, led by minister Kiren Rijiju, a Buddhist himself, the relics drew thousands of Mongolians, who lined up outside the Gandan Monastery to see them. <\/p>\n

Fast forward to February 2024. Another set of revered Buddhist relics travelled to Thailand, receiving the honour of a state guest. Across four cities \u2014 Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Ubon Ratchathani and Krabi \u2014 thousands of devotees and enthusiasts gathered to pay homage, in a powerful demonstration of India\u2019s soft power and its enduring spiritual ties with the region. <\/p>\n

India\u2019s outreach to Buddhists worldwide is unfolding alongside a push to develop infrastructure around sites central to the life of the Buddha, who was born as Siddhartha Gautama, a prince of the ancient kingdom of Kapilavastu, two and a half millennia ago. Except for Lumbini, his birthplace in Nepal, Buddhism\u2019s sacred sites mostly lie in India. These include Bodh Gaya (Bihar), where he attained enlightenment; Sarnath (Uttar Pradesh<\/a>), where he delivered his first sermon; Rajgir (Bihar), where he expounded his dharma; and Kushinagar (Uttar Pradesh), where he died and attained parinirvana. <\/p>\n

Other notable destinations include the ancient university town of Nalanda (Bihar), Sravasti (Uttar Pradesh), Sankisa (Uttar Pradesh), Amaravati (Andhra Pradesh), Dharamshala and Tabo (Himachal Pradesh), Gangtok (Sikkim), Leh (Ladakh), and Tawang and Namsai (Arunachal Pradesh). \u201cDuring the last few years, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh have been making significant strides in the promotion of Buddhist tourism sites. In Namsai, a 10 8 -foot Buddha statue is set to be erected soon, with donations from Thai citizens supporting the effort,\u201d says Niraj Kumar, joint secretary in the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region. He has also authored two volumes of commentary on the Kalacakra Tantra, an 11th century text of Tantric Buddhism. <\/p>\n

Gujarat became part of the Buddhist circuit only in the early 1960s, following the excavation of Buddha\u2019s bodily relics at Devni Mori, Shamlaji. Venu Vasudevan, a former director-general of the National Museum in Delhi, says any renewed focus on the Buddhist circuit should be centred around temples, not museums. \u201cA museum is not an appropriate place for veneration. Buddhists accord the highest importance to anything connected with the Buddha, and temples are built with sacred relics at the centre. If India takes the lead in building a grand temple to house these relics, it could evolve into a major spiritual hub, drawing lakhs of Buddhist devotees each year,\u201d he suggests. <\/p>\n

INFRA MANTRA<\/h2>\n

He says the infrastructure of the Buddhist circuit leaves a lot to be desired. \u201cBodh Gaya is one of the holiest sites of Buddhism but we have not been able to establish it as a major international spiritual centre. There are very few quality hotels. Its connectivity to places such as Rajgir, Vaishali, Kushinagar and Kaushambi are also not up to international standards,\u201d says Vasudevan.<\/p>\n

Harsh Vardhan Shringla, India\u2019s former foreign secretary who comes from a Darjeeling family with deep Buddhist ties, says, \u201cThe lack of good hotels and infrastructure in Bodh Gaya worked against our hosting a G20 meeting there. The entire circuit also needs improved highway connectivity and fast train services like the Vande Bharat Express<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Things are changing. With Indian Railways operating the Mahaparinirvan Express\u2014a luxury AC train that periodically goes on an eight-day tour of the Buddhist circuit\u2014 and new airports like Kushinagar becoming operational, the hospitality industry is eyeing Buddhist destinations with some optimism. Indian Hotels (IHCL), known for the Taj and Ginger brands, has signed a 160-room Gateway-branded hotel in Sarnath. \u201cWe are exploring opportunities to extend our presence in Buddhist destinations like Nalanda and Bodh Gaya,\u201d says Suma Venkatesh<\/a>, executive vice-president, real estate and development, IHCL. The company already has a presence in Patna, a gateway city to the circuit, with 300 rooms spread across one Taj and two Ginger properties. <\/p>\n

Arjun Baljee, president of Royal Orchid Hotels<\/a>, a mid-market player, says they are in talks to establish properties across multiple Buddhist circuit locations. Patu Keswani, chairman and MD of Lemon Tree, says, \u201cWhile we currently don\u2019t have properties in the region, we are in talks for management contracts, particularly in Bodhgaya.\u201d<\/p>\n

For now, hotels in the Buddhist circuit largely thrive on domestic tourism. While inbound tourism remains modest, the numbers are rising, says Ajay Bakaya, MD of Sarovar Hotels. It plans to open a 60-room Golden Tulip hotel near Lumbini.<\/p>\n

According to Nandivardhan Jain, CEO of Noesis Capital Advisors, a leading hotel investment advisory firm, India is aiming to double foreign tourist arrivals (FTAs) in the Buddhist circuit over the next five years. With government-driven initiatives in infrastructure, connectivity and global marketing, the Buddhist circuit is poised for unprecedented growth. Currently, India draws only 7.5% of its FTAs from Buddhist-majority nations, while Thailand attracts over 35%. \u201cA huge opportunity is waiting to be unlocked,\u201d says Jain. Noesis recently sealed a franchise agreement for a 100- room Ramada by Wyndham hotel in Bodh Gaya.<\/p>\n

Dipak Deva, MD of Travel Corporation of India, says marketing is the mantra. \u201cIf we want the numbers to rise, we must actively promote the destinations,\u201d he says. For many Buddhists worldwide, a pilgrimage to the land of the Buddha is a lifelong desire. Like for Liu Wei from Taiwan, who says he had a fulfilling experience in the circuit.<\/p>\n

Radhika Khanijo, MD of luxury travel firm Welgrow Travels, says travellers seek meticulously curated itineraries and a seamless journey blending road and air travel. \u201cWe even arrange personalised Buddhist teachings from senior monks,\u201d says Khanijo, who is getting enquiries from Southeast Asian travellers. <\/p>\n

A surge in international arrivals to the Buddhist circuit could bring a windfall for small entrepreneurs, including homestay owners. Tashi Gyaltsan, who runs Tukchu Homestay in Leh, eagerly awaits foreign guests, especially from Germany and France who would spend weeks in Ladakh. \u201cGerman and French travellers visit monastery after monastery, dedicating long hours to meditation. Unfortunately, their numbers have dwindled post-Covid,\u201d he laments, noting that Leh is now witnessing an unprecedented influx of domestic tourists.<\/p>\n

Joint secretary Kumar says the Vietnamese are a significant presence among Buddhist tourists coming to India. \u201cWith Vietnam\u2019s economic ascent, many are rediscovering their spiritual roots as well,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n

Back in 2006, New Delhi was caught off guard when communist China hosted the World Buddhist Forum<\/a> in Hangzhou\u2014the country\u2019s largest international religious gathering since Mao Zedong seized power in 1949. In response, five years later, India established the International Buddhist Confederation, a New Delhi-based umbrella organisation for Buddhist institutions worldwide. Since then, both India and China have been strategically wielding Buddhism as a tool of soft power, vying for influence among nations with large Buddhist populations. <\/p>\n

Buddhism found its way into China in the first century CE, carried by Indian monks and traders. Yet today, China occasionally refers to Buddhism as an \u201cancient Chinese religion\u201d. Dhammapiya, a Buddhist monk from Tripura and chancellor of the newly established Dhamma Dipa International Buddhist University, says India, not China, holds the key to leading the Buddhist world. But that, he insists, requires strategic finesse. <\/p>\n

\u201cIndia is the big brother in the Buddhist family, but it must accord due respect to its younger siblings\u2014the other Buddhist nations,\u201d says Dhammapiya. \u201cChina has been peddling a distorted narrative on the origin of Buddhism, trying to sever it from Indian roots. New Delhi must assert itself and set the record straight,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n


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