Grand Buddhist heritage celebrations from tomorrow

Telangana Tourism is organising a two-day 'Global Celebrations on Buddhist Heritage from Thursday. The gala affair will begin with Maha Sang’s chanting at Buddha Statue, Tank Bund.

Later, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao will inaugurate the event at Samagamam Hall in Begumpet. In addition, FAM tours as field visits will be held on Saturday and Sunday.

The announcement came through a statement released by the Tourism department on Tuesday. “Telangana has been a vibrant social entity by the time of the Buddha and continued to be so for the next two and a half millennia,” it said.

According to the statement, the event on Thursday will begin at 9am at Tank Bund and end with a cultural programme at Hotel Green Park in Begumpet at 7pm. An exhibition cum sale on artworks on Buddhist theme will be on display at State Archaeological Museum from 10.30am to 1pm. The Chief Minister will inaugurate a conference there.

The schedule for second day will begin with a panel discussion on the topic ‘Different countries on Buddhist history and experiences’ from 10am. A ghazal event is organised at The Plaza, Begumpet at 7pm.

The celebration also includes two field visits to Buddhist sites that include Buddhavanam Project, Nagarjunakonda with a theatre play and night stay on Saturday. On Sunday the event will visit Nellakondapally and Phanigiri.