Patna – The bones of Buddha will go on public display in Patna from Friday, the anniversary of his birth 2,600 years ago, officials said.
Visitors to the Patna Museum will pay Rs. 100 rupees for the privilege of being able to view the priceless Buddhist relic in a specially designed room, museum director Madhuri Aggrawal told reporters Thursday.
“The Bihar government has cleared the proposal to charge Rs 100 from each visitor to see the casket containing the bones of Lord Buddha,” she said.
In the past, tourists could view the bones only after obtaining special permission, which involved a long and complicated procedure.
Because the bones are priceless, the museum authorities had been reluctant to display them fearing theft or destruction.
“The room accommodating the bones has been specially lighted and high security has been provided,” Aggrawal said.
The Buddha bones were briefly opened for public view on January 12 this year on the occasion of the Tibetan Kalchakra Puja, which attracted hordes of visitors.
The bones were found during the 1958-1962 excavation by noted archaeologist A.S. Altekar of a Buddhist monastery at Vaishaligarh, 35 kilometers from Patna.
“The bones of Lord Buddha were found in a casket made of a stone along with a gold plate, zinc coin and glass beads,” Aggrawal said.
The bones have been authenticated by archaeologists and are considered priceless.
Various Buddhist organizations have objected to the keeping of the heritage in the museum and have instead proposed the creation of a special memorial in the Mahaboddhi Temple, at Bodhgaya — also in Bihar — where the Buddha gained enlightenment.
The Bihar government has however ruled that the museum is the safest place to store the relic.
“The state government has taken a decision to keep the (bones) in the museum considering its historical and religious importance,” said state Tourism minister Ashok Kumar Singh.
