Bibek Priyadarshi Khanal Message From a Newspaper ofUSA. Nepal battles misconceptionsover Buddha’s birthplace Quick:Where was theBuddha born? Tohear many Indians talk, you’dthink it was India, where heattained enlightenment and gavehis first sermon. But the people ofNepal know better — and theyare eager to correctmisconceptions about theAwakened One, considered one ofthe world’s most revered figures.Next month, Nepal will circulate anew 100- rupee note with theimprint, “Lumbini: The Birthplaceof Lord Buddha.” The currency ispart of the government’s mostrecent effort to correct the record.It comes amid protests followinga promotional video on theprivate Indian channel Zee TV,which claimed the Buddha wasborn in India. Zee TV correctedthe error, but Nepal Cable TVAssociation blocked the channelwhen the new series on the life ofBuddha premiered on Sunday (Sept. . The association’s chairmandescribed the move as a way toprevent possible unrest in thecountry, which is predominantlyHindu but proud of its Buddhistheritage. “We believe it was amistake by Zee TV,” saidassociation Chairman SudhirParajuli. “The official stand of theGovernment of India is that theBuddha was born in Nepal, but afew people not having sufficientknowledge proclaim that hisbirthplace is in India.” Mostscholars agree that Buddha wasborn in 523 B.C. in the sacred areaof Lumbini located in the plains ofsouthern Nepal. An inscription ona pillar erected by the MauryanEmperor Ashoka in 249 B.C.testifies to it. Still themisconception persists. In 2010,Indian-AmericanjournalistFareed Zakaria, host of CNN’sflagship foreign affairs show andeditor-at-largeat Time magazine,sparked protests in Nepal forstating in a book that the Buddhawas Indian. And just this Monday(Sept. 9) at a Buddhist function inDelhi, the state’s Chief MinisterSheila Dikshit referred to theBuddha, saying, “India has beenfortunate that he was born hereand today we find that hismessage spread to millions ofpeople brings them solace andcomfort all over the world.” InApril, a former TV journalist fromNepal, Rabi Lamichhane, returnedto his country from the UnitedStates determined to clear therecord. He did so by staging amarathon talk show that lasted 62hours and 12 minutes titled “LordBuddha was born in Nepal.” Themarathon was certified by theGuinness World Records as thelongest talk show.
Posted on: Sun, 15 Sep 2013 17:58:23 +0000
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