NEWS

Sixth International Buddhist Conclave Begins in New Delhi

By Raymond Lam | | Buddhistdoor Global

NEW DELHI—The 6th International Buddhist Conclave opened in New Delhi’s Vigyan Bhawan convention center on Thursday, hosted by the Ministry of Tourism, who partnered with the government of Japan as their co-organizer. The theme of this year’s conference is: “Buddha Path—The Living Heritage,” with a focus on India’s Buddhist tourism circuit. The conclave includes forums focused on input from Buddhist leaders, opinion-makers, and media on the right approach, as well as business-to-business meetings between tourist operators, entrepreneurs, and other private stakeholders in Indian tourism. Delegates from more than a dozen countries will also visit several sacred Buddhist sites over the next days. The conclave opened with a welcome address by the secretary of the Ministry of Tourism, Rashmi Verma, and a speech by Japan’s ambassador to India, Kenji Hiramatsu, who spoke about the “Indo-Japan friendship.” According to Hiramatsu, the conclave’s initiative of encouraging tourist operators to promote pilgrimage programs and itineraries internationally “perfectly justifies Japan’s participation” due to India’s long-lasting ties with Japan through Buddhism. “Few ties between Japan and India are as treasured as Buddhism,” he noted, adding that Japan had invested significantly in conservation projects, particularly in Maha Bodhi Temple and the Ajanta Caves. He also observed that infrastructure, connectivity, and sanitation were some of the key components to be improved in this ongoing initiative.



Poster for the International Buddhist Conclave 2018. Image courtesy of author