Rein in Kanuma revellers at Buddhist site, collector urged

by Venkatesh Bayya, TNN Jan 8, 2014

VISAKHAPATNAM, India -- Worried about the impact of the annual Jatara on the Bojjannakonda-Lingalametta Buddhist site near Anakapalle on January 15, heritage conservationists have sought police protection for the ancient heritage site. Office bearers of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (Intach) have already written to the district collector seeking police protection.

Close to a lakh people attend the annual Jatara that is held during Kanuma celebrations a day after Sankranti when people are usually in high spirits. On the pretext of driving away the devil, the locals cause a great deal of damage to the structure by pulling out bricks and throwing them into the caves at the site, said sources.

R Appala Narasimham a resident of the nearby Tummapala village said, "Not only do they vandalise the site by damaging the brickwork, at the end of the day the whole place is littered with booze bottles and plastic carry bags. This is a classic case of pilgrims desecrating their own place of worship."

Talking about the irreverent and callous attitude of the locals, former Intach-Vizag convenor Rani Sarma said, "We are not against the Jatara, nor do we wish to question the beliefs or superstitions of the local public. We are concerned about the protection of the sites as we feel that these sites, that were under occupation from 300 BC to 700 AD, must be shown some reverence."

While Intach sources disclosed that former collectors such as V Seshadri and J Shyamala Rao had indeed provided the necessary police force to prevent vandalism at the site, they are worried that if the new collector does not act swiftly, much of the site could be vandalized this year during Kanuma celebrations.

According to Intach-Vizag convenor P V Prasad, things had improved much after former district collector J Shyamala Rao had responded by providing a strong police force to protect the site. "Things have been looking better in the last three years with the district administration providing the necessary police force to protect the site. More than 50 cops are being deployed ever year on that particular day to help prevent damage to the site. More importantly we are doing our best to raise awareness amongst the general public," Prasad explained.

Rani Sarma was of the opinion that providing protection to the site should be made compulsory. "We shoot off reminders because we have had four district collectors in the last four years. Hopefully this year the present collector too will respond to our call for protecting the site."

We Need Your Help to Train the
Buddhist AI Chat Bot NORBU!
(Neural Operator for Responsible Buddhist Understanding)

For Malaysians and Singaporeans, please make your donation to the following account:

Account Name: Bodhi Vision
Account No:. 2122 00000 44661
Bank: RHB

The SWIFT/BIC code for RHB Bank Berhad is: RHBBMYKLXXX
Address: 11-15, Jalan SS 24/11, Taman Megah, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Phone: 603-9206 8118

Note: Please indicate your name in the payment slip. Thank you.

Dear Friends in the Dharma,

We seek your generous support to help us train NORBU, the word's first Buddhist AI Chat Bot.

Here are some ways you can contribute to this noble cause:

One-time Donation or Loan: A single contribution, regardless of its size, will go a long way in helping us reach our goal and make the Buddhist LLM a beacon of wisdom for all.

How will your donation / loan be used? Download the NORBU White Paper for details.

For Malaysians and Singaporeans, please make your donation to the following account:

Account Name: Bodhi Vision
Account No:. 2122 00000 44661
Bank: RHB

The SWIFT/BIC code for RHB Bank Berhad is: RHBBMYKLXXX
Address: 11-15, Jalan SS 24/11, Taman Megah, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Phone: 603-9206 8118

Note: Please indicate your purpose of payment (loan or donation) in the payment slip. Thank you.

Once payment is banked in, please send the payment slip via email to: editor@buddhistchannel.tv. Your donation/loan will be published and publicly acknowledged on the Buddhist Channel.

Spread the Word: Share this initiative with your friends, family and fellow Dharma enthusiasts. Join "Friends of Norbu" at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/norbuchatbot. Together, we can build a stronger community and create a positive impact on a global scale.

Volunteer: If you possess expertise in AI, natural language processing, Dharma knowledge in terms of Buddhist sutras in various languages or related fields, and wish to lend your skills, please contact us. Your knowledge and passion could be invaluable to our project's success.

Your support is part of a collective effort to preserve and disseminate the profound teachings of Buddhism. By contributing to the NORBU, you become a "virtual Bodhisattva" to make Buddhist wisdom more accessible to seekers worldwide.

Thank you for helping to make NORBU a wise and compassionate Buddhist Chatbot!

May you be blessed with inner peace and wisdom,

With deepest gratitude,

Kooi F. Lim
On behalf of The Buddhist Channel Team

Note: To date, we have received the following contributions for NORBU:
US$ 75 from Gary Gach (Loan)
US$ 50 from Chong Sim Keong
MYR 300 from Wilson Tee
MYR 500 from Lim Yan Pok
MYR 50 from Oon Yeoh
MYR 200 from Ooi Poh Tin
MYR 300 from Lai Swee Pin
MYR 100 from Ong Hooi Sian
MYR 1,000 from Fam Sin Nin
MYR 500 from Oh teik Bin
MYR 300 from Yeoh Ai Guat
MYR 300 from Yong Lily
MYR 50 from Bandar Utama Buddhist Society
MYR 1,000 from Chiam Swee Ann
MYR 1,000 from Lye Veei Chiew
MYR 1,000 from Por Yong Tong
MYR 80 from Lee Wai Yee
MYR 500 from Pek Chee Hen
MYR 300 from Hor Tuck Loon
MYR 1,000 from Wise Payments Malaysia Sdn Bhd
MYR 200 from Teo Yen Hua
MYR 500 from Ng Wee Keat
MYR 10,000 from Chang Quai Hung, Jackie (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from K. C. Lim & Agnes (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from Juin & Jooky Tan (Loan)
MYR 100 from Poh Boon Fong (on behalf of SXI Buddhist Students Society)
MYR 10,000 from Fam Shan-Shan (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from John Fam (Loan)
MYR 500 from Phang Cheng Kar
MYR 100 from Lee Suat Yee
MYR 500 from Teo Chwee Hoon (on behalf of Lai Siow Kee)
MYR 200 from Mak Yuen Chau

We express our deep gratitude for the support and generosity.

If you have any enquiries, please write to: editor@buddhistchannel.tv

Search Buddhist Channel

Rein in Kanuma revellers at Buddhist site, collector urged

by Venkatesh Bayya, TNN Jan 8, 2014