Lumbini hosting biggest meditation programme

By Kapil Gyawali,Siddharthanagar, Mar. 18:  A total of 5,000 people are expected to participate in the Birat Chakra Bigyan programme being held in Lumbini from March 30 to April 5. 

Citizens from 15 countries including Nepal will participate in the programme being organised in Lumbini-based international meditation centre, and preparations are in full swing to conduct practical classes with five different energy meditations for seven days.  

Keshab Khanal, coordinator of Biological Science Council (Jeev Bigyan Parisad), Lumbini, informed that all preparations were made for the programme. Such a large number of people are participating in the meditation programme for the first time and the programme is expected to be registered in the Guinness Book of World Records, he added.  

Stating that 1,471 people attended a similar programme in Australia earlier, he claimed that it would be the first and biggest meditation event in the world. By exploring the confidence, love, knowledge, determination and happiness within the individual, a peaceful and prosperous nation can be built, said Khanal.

Human development experts of life science, LP Bhanu Sharma and Ramesh Nepal will teach meditation. The programme will help make Nepal an excellent spiritual tourism destination by collectively spreading the teachings of meditation imparted by Lord Buddha. 

Speaking at a press conference held in Butwal, President of Council Durga Bahadur Chhetri said that representatives and followers of various government bodies of the country have been invited to the programme. Industrialists, businessmen, employees of the private sector, civil servants, security personnel, social workers and political workers, among others, have been invited.

Hari Pokharel, Coordinator of Education Development of the Council, said that the organisers will arrange three meals per day for the participants, and the participants themselves have to make arrangements for the accommodation. The mediation programme will also contribute to the tourism and economic development of the Lumbini. 

For the accommodation of the participants of Virat Chakra Bigyan, arrangements will be made in hotels and guesthouses in Lumbini, Bhairahawa and Butwal. Likewise, the organisers will provide free transportation facilities from Lumbini to Butwal and Bhairahawa, said Indira. Bishwakarma, Nawalparasi-based coordinator of the Council.  A fee of Rs 10,000 per person has been collected for registration to participate in the programme.

The collected fees will be spent on the management of food, carpeting, sound and digital systems in the hall for the weeklong programme. The programme is being organised with the slogan Knowledge of Lord Buddha, Mediation in Lumbini. The organisers have urged people to participate in the programme.