Community Outreach Program of Bihar Foundation, Mumbai

Free educational Tour For Dalit Buddhists to Bodh Gaya

For The First Time A Shift in Focus from Foreign Buddhist Pilgrims towards India’s Growing Buddhism Followers:

A special coach on the LTT- Patna Express will be flagged off by Prof. Varsha Gaikwad, Hon’ble Minister of State for Tourism on 24^th May 2010 at 21.00 hours from the Lokmanya Tilak Terminus, Mumbai.

An entire coach comprising of 72 berths will carry the dalit Buddhist students and senior citizens from Mumbai to Gaya. 60 Buddhist students and the rest, senior citizens from the Dalit communities will be offered this free tour which is being supported by the parent body of Bihar Foundation in Patna. The local sightseeing and lodging will be managed by the Patna wing while the rail travel arrangements have been made by the Mumbai Chapter.

India, the abode of some of the most revered and sacred Buddhist sites in the world, has always welcomed Buddhist pilgrims and scholars from foreign shores especially from Japan and other south east countries with sizeable Buddhist population like Thailand, Vietnam, Malayasia, Phillipines , Tibet and Cambodia. Unfortunately, our focus towards welcoming our foreign guest to Buddhist sites have been so consuming that we have tended to neglect our own growing Buddhist followers wishing to pay homage to Buddhism and visit the famous sites and monuments.

In a small but significant initiative, the Bihar Foundation-Mumbai Chapter, a not-for profit organization ( www.biharfoundation.com) has taken the lead in rectifying this matter of catering to the domestic Buddhist pilgrims seeking to visit sites in Bihar.

Bodh Gaya is home to the some of the most revered sites and relics of Buddha and this is where BFM has planned a completely free trip for some Buddhists from Maharashtra on the occasion of Buddha Pournima falling on May 27^th, 2010