The first Amaravati Buddhist Heritage Festival was held in the southeastern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh on 3–5 February. The opening ceremony began with a collective chant for world peace and harmony by more than 1,000 monks representing the Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana schools, with more than 45,000 people from around the world participating via the Internet, setting a world record for the largest global chant.

More than 4 million people followed the proceedings of the three-day event online, and thousands of visitors attended in person to experience an array of Buddhist culture, cuisine, and handicrafts. The festival, organized by the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Authority, featured spiritual sermons, guided meditation, exhibitions, foods, heritage walks, discussions, and cultural performances, including a bansuri (bamboo flute) performance by internationally acclaimed flautist Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, a recital of the Heart Sutra, the recitation of famous Buddhist scriptures by students of Maitreya School in Bodh Gaya, a Cham dance performed by Buddhist monks, and performances by classical artists from across India.

Irrigation Minister Devineni Umamaheswara Rao of the state government, who attended the event, noted that the festival had become the perfect platform for a global prayer for peace, and that hosting the event was a proud moment for Andhra Pradesh. He described how Buddhism has flourished in Andhra Pradesh, and that many of the great Buddhist philosophers, such as Acariya Nagarjuna (150–250 CE), who has contributed greatly to Buddhism around the world, had ties to the region.