Lumbini Trust officials inspect Buddhist Circuit sites

By Our Correspondent,Bhairahawa, Jan. 4: The Lumbini Development Trust (LDT) has inspected the archaeological sites along the Buddhist Circuit in Kapilvastu. 

Vice Chairman of the Trust Venerable Metteyya Sakyaputta, Treasurer Dhundi Raj Bhattarai (Siddhicharan), Member Secretary Sanuraja Shakya, Project Manager Saroj Bhattarai and other officials from the LDT board and the Department of Archaeology inspected the historic Tilaurakot Palace (the archaeological remains of ancient Shakya Kingdom), Sagarhawa (the place where Shakyas were massacred by the King Virudhaka) and Sisahaniya (a place where Buddha once visited).

On the occasion, the LDT leadership instructed everyone to make the management of Tilaurakot, a place on the UNESCO World Heritage Convention’s tentative list, more effective, conserve Sisahaniya and develop Sagarhawa as a Buddhist park. 

They also asked them to start preparing to hold a national workshop for the same.

Vice Chairman Sakyaputta said that the Trust would conduct excavation and preservation works in these areas to unearth and protect the remnants of the ancient Buddhist civilisation. He also shared that the Trust had completed its part of the process to get Tilaurakot made a World Heritage Site.

Treasurer Bhattarai informed that they inspected the places with the objective to hold a national workshop on stone-crafting at Jagadishpur Lake, Sagarhawa. 

This is expected to boost tourism. Shakya said that they would immediately begin erecting a fence in the three areas to protect these areas.