Gaya: A group of 50 devotees from Japan reached Bodh Gaya on Monday and offered prayers at the Mahabodhi Mahavihara. Carrying a message of world peace, human welfare and universal brotherhood, they dedicated 5,000 newly handwritten magazines and messages before the statue of Buddha in the sanctum sanctorum.Pramod Jaiswal, an Indian tourism entrepreneur who has lived in Japan for 45 years, said the initiative of bringing handwritten messages to Bodh Gaya had continued for 14 years. Under the campaign, Japanese citizens handwrite messages expressing their desire for global peace, prosperity and harmony.“The campaign aims to collect one lakh handwritten magazines. So far, about 95,000 have been prepared, with about 5,000 added every year. The initiative will continue until the target of one lakh is achieved,” he said.The group was led by Kitatsu Ikoma, head priest of the 7th-century Yakushiji Temple in Nara, a historic city in Japan. Other prominent religious figures, including Sensei Tokura and Sensei Neguro Bokudo, also guided the devotees.Highlighting the significance of such visits, Samir Shukla, vice head of an international travel agency, said, “Continued influx of Japanese pilgrims strengthens religious, cultural, and tourism ties between India and Japan”.Sudama Kumar, general secretary of the Bodh Gaya hotel association, said the handwritten messages reinforced cultural ties between the two countries while spreading Buddha’s teachings of compassion and friendship.
