New Buddhist pilgrimage site constructed in Gaya

The Gayasisha hill, also known as Brahmayoni hill (south of Gaya town), has been developed as the new Buddhist pilgrimage site. The place where Buddha delivered Adittapariyaya Sutta (fire sermon) was consecrated by the 12th Goshir Gyaltsab Rinpoche on Sunday.

The new site, which includes a fire sermon stupa, has now been opened for the visit by Buddhists and other devotees. On Monday, Rinpoche would be visiting the 13-km ancient Jethian-Rajgir Buddha trail and thereafter pay pilgrimage to the sacred sites of Pipphali cave at Rajgir and exchange robes at Silao and Insrasila Guha at Parwati.

Deepak Anand, a Buddhist explorer who is doing foot journeys like Buddhist monk Xuanzang and also part of this Brahmayoni stupa project said, "This is an important step in facilitating neglected Buddhist sites into living heritage sites." Deepak said the project at Brahmayoni had started in July 2018.

The site includes a stupa, where Buddhist pilgrims can offer their obeisance. "There is a plan to develop the site as a meditation center. Later, it would be developed as eco–tourism-cum-pilgrimage destination as there is also a plan to carry out a plantation drive.” The project has got support from Buddhist spiritual leaders from different countries including Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Hongkong.