लुम्बिनी विकास कोषको प्रेस विज्ञप्ती

मिति ः २०६७।०१।२८

बुद्धको पवित्र भूमि लुम्बिनी जाऔं, २५५४ औं बुद्ध जयन्ती मनाऔं भन्ने मूल नाराका साथ शान्तिका अग्रदूत महामानव गौतम बुद्धको पवित्र जन्मस्थल लुम्बिनी आगामी २०६७ जेष्ठ १२, १३ र १४ गते २५५४ औं बुद्ध जयन्ती एवम् लुम्बिनी दिवस – २०६७ भव्यताका साथ मनाउनका लागि संस्कृति मन्त्री एवम् लुम्बिनी विकास कोषका अध्यक्ष डा. मिनेन्द्र रिजालको संयोजकत्वमा ५०१ सदस्यीय मूल समिति गठन भएको छ ।

लुम्बिनी विकास कोषका उपाध्यक्ष आचार्य कर्मा सङबो शेर्पाको संयोजकत्वमा २५५४ औं बुद्ध जयन्ती तयारी समिति गठन गरियो जसअन्तर्गत विभिन्न उपसमितिहरु समेत गठन गरिएको छ । जसअन्तर्गत कोषका उपाध्यक्ष शेर्पाको संयोजकत्वमा प्रमुख अतिथि तथा अतिथि सत्कार र सम्मान तथा कदरपत्र व्यवस्था उपसमिति गठन गरिएको छ भने लुम्बिनी विकास कोषका कोषाध्यक्ष मझिलाल थारु थनेतको संयोजकत्वमा खेलकूद, अर्थ तथा मंच व्यवस्था उपसमिति चयन गरिएको छ ।

यसैगरी कोषका सदस्य सचिव राजेन्द्र थापामगरको संयोजकत्वमा शान्ती ¥याली, बुद्धपूजा, प्रचार प्रसार, साहित्य, सुरक्षा, स्वयम्सेवक तथा काठमाडौं, कपिलवस्तु समन्वय उपसमितिहरु तथा कोषका योजना प्रमुख भरत कुँवरको संयोजकत्वमा यातायात, आवास, भोजन, स्वास्थ्य तथा सरसफाई उपसमितिहरु गठन गरिएकोे छ ।

नव गठित उपसमितिका पदाधिकारीहरुलाई आ–आफ्नो जिम्मेवारी तदारुकताका साथ अघि बढाउनका लागि कोषका उपाध्यक्ष आचार्य कर्मा सङबो शेर्पाले निर्देशन समेत दिनुभयो ।

– प्रचार प्रसार व्यवस्था उपसमिति
२५५४ औं बुद्ध जयन्ती एवम् लुम्बिनी दिवस समारोह

Lumbini Development Trust conducted two-day training from May 3 to 4, 2010 in Lumbini to empower its staff. The training named Personal Dynamics organized by the trust and conducted by Stairways Management, Kathmandu trained the staff on various topics like Knowing Yourself (Mind , Body , Sprit), Leadership: Communication and Self Confidence, Attitude, Behavior and Change, Self Management and Organizational Behavioral Skills, Team Management, Planning, Decision making, Negotiation, Direction skills, Power of Positive Thinking etc. 27 Participants attended the training.

His Excellency Mr. Mahinda Rajpaksa, President of the Socialist Democratic Republic of Sri Lanka including high level delegation visited holy international pilgrimage and world heritage site Lumbini: the birthplace of Lord Buddha on 30 Oct 2009. He was accompanied by the first lady Mrs Sriyanthi Rajapaksa, Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr. Rohita Bolagama, Minister for Citizen and Water Aviation Mr. Chamal Rajpaksa, Minister for Fishery Mr. Piyasen, Minister for Health Mr. Himal Sripala, the officers of Sri Lanka-Lumbini Development Trust Fund and a team of high delegates.

The high level delegates' team led by the President was welcomed by Culture Minister and Chairman of Lumbini Development Trust Dr. Minendra Rijal, Vice Chairman Karma Sangbo Sherpa, Treasurer Mr. Majhilal Tharu Thanet, Member Secretary Mr. Rajendra Thapa Magar, Project Chief Er. Bharat Kunwar, staffs of the Lumbini Development Trust, Monks & Nuns' from various national and international monasteries, Chief of the government offices of Rupandehi district including Chief District Officer Mr. Nagendra Jha were present in Lumbini to heartily welcome the president and entourage.

Karma Sangbo Sherpa, Vice Chairman of the Trust in his welcome speech said that LDT has taken the visit of His Excellency President as a milestone in the pilgrimage history of Lumbini. Meanwhile Hon'ble Minister for Foreign Affairs Sri Lanka HE Rohita Bolagama expressed government of Sri Lanka and its people always positive for the development of sacred birthplace of Lord Buddha. Hon'ble Minister for Federal Affairs, Constituent Assembly, Parliamentary Affairs and Culture, Chairman of the Trust Dr. Minendra Rijal expressed a multitude of happiness to have opportunity to receive the president in Lumbini, the holy birthplace of Lord Buddha. He also pointed out many bilateral ventures and benefits between Nepal and Sri Lanka in many aspects including spiritual tourism in his speech. Mr. Hari D. Rai, LDT explained the master plan and monuments of Lumbini to the President and delegates.}

His Excellency President Mahinda Rajapaksa writes in the visitor's book of LDT " I visited Lumbini the birthplace of lord Buddha as per my childhood dream and as per my speech in the parliament in 1970 to develop Lumbini . And also today hand over the Lankanamaya the Sri Lanka monastery to Buddhasasana." HE President expresses his immense happiness to see his dream come true. The devout President donated 10,000 US $ to the Trust for the development of Lumbini and handed over to Souvenirs to the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Trust and also inaugurated Sri Lankan monastery in Lumbini monastic enclave and handed over to Buddhasasana. Meanwhile, token of love and promotional collaterals handed over by Minister Rijal and Vice Chairman of LDT to the President and entourage.

The UNESCO World Heritage Centre and UNESCO Office in Kathmandu, in close collaboration with the Lumbini Development Trust and Department of Archaeology, organized a three and half day workshop from 18-21 June 2009 as part of project preparation mission to Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha, Nepal. This mission was financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan through the UNESCO Japan-Funds-in-Trust (JFIT).

The purpose of the workshop was to prepare a project document for the protection of the World Heritage Property of Lumbini, its surrounding and associated historic Buddhist Sites with the region. The workshop was attended by a wide range of local Nepalese experts, a team of 5 international experts (Prof. Yukio Nishimura, University of Tokyo, Japan, Prof. Dr. Herb Stovel, Carleton University, Canada, Dr. Augusto Villalon, Cultural Heritage Planner, Philippines, Prof. Dr. Robin Coningham, Durham University, United Kingdom and Dr. Constantino Meucci, Italy) many of them who have already worked on or are acquainted with the site, and Acharya Karma Sangbo Sherpa, Vice- Chairman of Lumbini Development Trust, Dr. Roland Lin, Program Specialist from the World Heritage Center, Paris, Dr. Colin Kaiser, Head of UNESCO Kathmandu, and officials of the Department of Archaeology and Lumbini Development Trust also participated.

The workshop was carried out through intensive group work and site visits, with frequent exchange among the groups. There were altogether four groups, each handed by one or two international experts, who addressed specific questions linked with

• The Master Plan of Lumbini (5mile×5 mile area)
• The World Heritage Site of Lumbini and potential Sites linked to Lord Buddha
• Material Conservation inside the Maya Devi Temple as well as for outside vestiges and Archaeological Conservation for the Lumbini World Heritage Site and
• The Sacred Garden (Lumbini WHS, buffer zone and area beyond the levee)

The workshop was followed by a tripartite meeting on 22 June in Kathmandu which was attended by His Excellency Tatsuo Mizuno, Ambassador to Nepal of Japan, Mr. Bhim Lal Gurung, Deputy Secretary General of the Nepal National Commission for UNESCO, and participants of the workshop. During the meeting the Ambassador was informed of the preliminary results of the mission.

Bye the general agreement of local participants, this was by far the most constructive mission/workshop organized by UNECO for the Lumbini WHS and the related Buddhist historic sites. There was consensus about the necessity to review the Master Plan. Its philosophy, notably the aspects pertaining to the Sacred Garden, has been fully understood. The ongoing developments of integrated Management Plan for the site also received momentum through this mission by UNESCO were also re-examined and feasible solutions were found. The mission successfully accomplished its core objectives by identifying a series of technical proposals related to material conservation, geo-physical archaeological investigations, archaeological resource archiving, local training in technical restoration etc. The main priority will be those projects that can be implemented within the 3 year period under the UNESCO/ JIF and those projects that will have impact for the long-term protection of Lumbini and its associated sites.

Lumbini, the holy birthplace of the lord Buddha and UNESCO World Heritage site is being exposed as an international pilgrimage and tourist destination in recent years. According to the record of Tourist Information Centre of Lumbini Development Trust, Lumbini, the number of tourists has been raised by 15.5% in 2008. The number of Passport holder tourists was 71053 in 2007, which has mounted to 82075 this year. Approximately, 4,50,000 Nepalese tourists including about 25% of Indian nationals have visited Lumbini in the year. Rapid development activities of Lumbini Development area, informative and promotional activities of the Trust and political stability in the nation are the main reasons of inspiring growth rate of tourists in Lumbini. The Information Centre of the Trust had a projection of increment of tourists by about 30% in the year. However, certain causes like transportation barrier due to political and local issues, political unrest in Thailand, attack and sense of terror in Mumbai and worldwide financial crisis etc affected the expected growth rate of tourist in Lumbini.

Tourists, pilgrims, and visitors of 95 countries visited Lumbini in 2008. Sri Lankan tourists as usual   topped with the highest visitors counting 31,984 in the year to Lumbini whereas Thailand has placed in second position with 14,454 visitors. The number of visitors from Myanmar, South Korea, China, and Japan are 5825, 5784, 2261, and 2247 respectively. Lumbini, the international pilgrimage site received visitors from all continents and major countries of the world. Lumbini was fortunate to receive United Nations Secretary-General Mr. Ban Ki-Moon. The nation has been highly encouraged by the eminent visit of the Secretary-General and keen interest shown by him to help Lumbini develop further. The visits of Prime Minister Rt.hon’ble Puspa Kamal Dahal, the then Prime Minister Rt.hon’ble Girija Prasad Koirala, CPN-UML Secretary General Hon’ble Jhala Nath Khanal, Foreign Minister Hon’ble Upendra Yadav and Hon’ble Minister for Culture & State Restructuring Mr. Gopal Kiranty were significant events throughout the year. High level official delegates of PR China, Sri Lanka and India also paid visit to Lumbini in the year. The travel trend of tourists to Lumbini shows increasing charisma of spiritual tourism around the globe. And Lumbini, with its great potential is being developed into spiritual centre in the recent years.