By Neeraj Kumar
Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is actively working to elevate Vaishali to international prominence. Fulfilling the wish of the late Union Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, the relics of Lord Buddha will be enshrined in the main stupa of the Buddha Samyak Darshan Museum in Vaishali. This site is expected to attract Buddhist pilgrims from around the world for worship and meditation. The museum, being constructed on a sprawling 72-acre campus at an estimated cost of ₹300 crore, has already seen 75% of its construction completed.
The campus will house various facilities, including a meditation centre, a meeting hall, a yoga centre, a guest house, and a museum, alongside the main stupa. The construction of this grand project is progressing rapidly.
Drawing a parallel to the recently inaugurated Ram Temple in Ayodhya, the Buddha stupa in Vaishali, while catering to a different faith, shares a unique connection. Both structures utilise the same type of stone for their construction, symbolising architectural grandeur and cultural significance.
According to Pradeep Bisht, the project manager of Shapoorji Pallonji Company, which is overseeing the construction, the site will feature a library, meditation hall, guest house, visitor building, meeting hall, and a museum, most of which are nearly complete. The main stupa, the focal point of the complex, is in its final phase of construction and is progressing at a brisk pace.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has shown great dedication to this project, personally visiting the site four times to review its progress. It is anticipated that the Buddha Samyak Darshan Museum will be inaugurated in or before September, marking a significant milestone in promoting Vaishali as a global destination for Buddhist heritage.
