The rest is history
In the year 1957, on the request of the
then High Commissioner for Sri Lanka in India Sir Edwin Wijeyaratne the
Indian Prime Minister Pandit Jaywaharlal Nehru gifted a plot of land (at
No. 7, Chelmsford Road) in New Delhi.
The purpose was to build a Pilgrims' Rest for the many pilgrims visiting
the sacred Buddhist sites in India, not only from Sri Lanka but from Japan,
Burma, Tibet, India, China, Taiwan, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia,
Singapore, HongKong, Mongolia and other European countries. The Rest was
declared open by Jawaharlal Nehru three years later-on November 30,1960.
The Pilgrim's Rest situated at one of the most convenient locations
in New Delhi, close to the main railway station and the commercial hub
consists of eight rooms, one dormitory and a large hall which can accommodate
nearly fifty pilgrims.
It is managed by the Maha Bodhi Society of Sri Lanka under an agreement
between the Society and the Sri Lankan government. Now after 38 long years
the Delhi Pilgrims' Rest which has provided shelter to many from all over
the world and our own people will rise with a new look, having received
approval from the President.
Our High Commission in New Delhi has worked out details of the new Pilgrim's
Rest.
The new multi-storeyed building will be able to accommodate 250 pilgrims.
It will have a Meditation Hall, an Auditorium, Library and a Cultural Centre.
The fully air-conditioned building will consist of two wings joined together
by a hinge enclosing a circle centred on a Bodhi Tree.
The circle and the Bodhi Tree are intended to emphasize that the religious
and philosophical concept of the Pilgrim's Rest is committed to nurture
or nature? High Commissioner Mangala Moonesinghe speaking to the Street
Walker said that the financing of the new centre will be entirely on voluntary
contributions and he has already collected nearly half the cost.
The total cost of the new Pilgrims' Rest is Indian Rs. 50 million. (Sri
Lankan Rs. 80 million).
The rest will cater to all pilgrims, particularly to those from the
less affluent segments of society. I have met many people from Sri Lanka
who have travelled to Delhi and the sacred places of worship in India.
Most of them are from our villages and elderly and Buddhist monks from
faraway Temples. One elderly lady mentioned that she collected money for
many years to visit India to pay homage to Lord Buddha's place of birth
and now that her dream has come true she was prepared to die in peace.
The pilgrims appreciate the co-operation extended to them by the Indian
High Commission in Sri Lanka, specially in connection with their visa formalities.
This is a bridge of peace, between India and Sri Lanka.
The soft spoken, gentleman-politician turned diplomat Moonesinghe had
this message for his people in Sri Lanka
'In a world tormented by violence and hatred, the need of our generation
is to substitute violence with peace, and hatred with compassion. This
is the teaching of the Tatagatha. We shall remind ourselves of Buddha's
basic tenets of Dhana, Seela and Bhavana (liberality, virtue and meditation).
Stop Over: The motto of the Delhi Police is 'with you for you
always'. But whenever somebody is in need of them it changes to 'without
you, not for you and never'.
Next: The street walker takes a walk to the remote town of Pilbhit
with India's firebrand and environmental friendly Minister for Social Justice
and Empowerment, Maneka Gandhi.
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