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Raghuvansh Prasad Singh

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K.P. Jaiswal Research Institute

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MGNREGS
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Bihar rivals ready to unite over Buddhas

bowl
NALIN VERMA
Patna, Aug. 27: Lord Buddha appears to have united the two
warring rivals Lalu Prasads RJD and Nitish Kumars JD(U).
The ruling party in Bihar has indicated it could back RJD MP
Raghuvansh Prasad Singhs demand to bring Buddhas
bhikshapatra (begging bowl) back to Vaishali from Afghanistan.
The artefact is said to be housed at the National Museum in
Kabul.

Vishwa Shanti Stupa in

Vaishali. Telegraph
picture

The government will be a happy beneficiary if it gets back the

ancient artefact for Buddhas life and philosophy was rooted to
the soil of Bihar, cultural adviser to the chief minister Pavan K.
Varma told The Telegraph. He, however, clarified that there
should be a proper way to pursue the issue.

It is the Union ministry of culture which should gather historical

facts to prove that the bhikshapatra in question actually belonging
to Gautama Buddha is lying in the Kabul museum. Then it should
approach the ministry of external affairs to get in touch with their Afghanistan counterparts
and place a demand for getting the artefact back to India, Varma, a former Indian Foreign
Service officer, said.
Raghuvansh, who represents Vaishali in the Lok Sabha, raised the issue in the House on
Monday, drawing the attention of the external affairs ministry and demanding the restoration
of Buddhas bhikshapatra to its original place at Vaishali. The MP argued that Buddha had
gifted his begging bowl to his disciples in Vaishali on way to attaining nirvana (salvation) at
Kushinagar.
The invaders later took away the begging bowl to Kushan king Kanishkas capital of
Purushpur (now Peshawar) and later to Gandhar (now Kandahar). Over a period of time, the
begging bowl was shifted to the museum at Kabul.
Enquired about the historicity of the artefact, ancient Indian historian and director of K.P.
Jaiswal Research Institute, Vijay Choudhary, said: Raghuvanshs claim regarding Buddhas
bhikshapatra is not without basis. British archaeologist and engineer, Alexander Cunningham
(1824-93), wrote an article asserting that Buddhas begging bowl was taken away by
Kanishka to Peshawar. Cunninghams assertion is the primary basis for the movement to

bring Buddhas begging bowl back to its original place.

Asked about the approach of the state government on the issue raised by an RJD MP,
secretary, art and culture, Chanchal Kumar said: We will readily provide all the facts related
to the artefact if we are approached.
A former bureaucrat, who did not wish to be named, said the time had not yet come for
approaching the state government. First, the Union ministry of art and culture, which is
supposed to take care of museums, has to make out the case of Buddhas begging bowl and
take the initiative of getting it back to India. Then it can take the state government in the
loop, he said.
Raghuvansh has been a bitter critic of the Nitish government from the very outset. Be it the
issue of the implementation of the MGNREGS or law and order or development, the Vaishali
MP has steadfastly attacked Nitish on these issues.
However, sources close to the chief minister revealed that Nitish was set to back the rival
party MP on the subject.
Nitish is fond of developing the sites associated with Lord Buddha. Bodhgaya, Vaishali,
Nalanda have been the CMs favourite destinations, said an aide of Nitish.
He (Nitish) will strongly back Raghuvanshs demand for restoring Buddhas begging bowl
in Bihar.