Buddha caves to draw tourists

TNN, Feb 9, 2011

RAJKOT, India -- In order to give new impetus to Gujarat branding itself as the latest Buddhist pilgrimage destination. The state government has chalked out a plan to develop tourist infrastructure at sites associated with Buddhism and has prepared a comprehensive plan to market these sites to tourist.

Rajkot district collectorate will develop ancient Buddha caves at Khambhalida village near Gondal in Rajkot district as a tourist des-tionation.

Khambhalida is about 7 km off national highway no 8B near Virpur. There are total 15 caves of 4th-5th century AD are scooped out in the local limestone rock located on both sides of a small rivulet, sur-rounded by hillocks. The main cave is a chaitya with a worn out stupa. the entrance of the chaitya is flanked by two large size sculp-ture of the bodhisatvas padmapani on right and vajrapani on left. each bodhisatva is surrounded by attendants. there are depictions of buddhist railing and foliages.

According to H S Patel, collector, Rajkot district, the project coast is estimated about Rs 5.5 crore and is expected to complete within a year.

"The site which we are going to develop is near Buddhist caves at Kmbhalida village. It is an archeological site. This is an ideal tourists place as it is near to pilgrimage place-Virpur and close to national highway. There is a natural water stream on back side of the site and if a small check dam can be constructed over the rivulet, a small pond can be created near the proposed site which would add to the natural beauty of the site," said Patel. Patel said that site will be de-veloped according to Buddhist architectural and its principals.

"The site development includes up gradation of village road from national highway to Buddha caves, approach roads, a meditation center, construction of rooms, dormitories for people to stay, din-ning hall, cafeteria, kitchen, library, museum of Buddha literature and articles among other ancillaries," said Rikhav Sanghvi of Star Architects which is carrying out the project.

"The beautiful landscaping would be carried out and civil amenities like toilets, water supply, drainage, electrification and other infra-structural facilities will be created," Patel added.

In Saurashtra, Buddha caves are found near Junagadh, Ashoka edicts, Talaja and Khambhalida.

"We have identified various tourist destinations in the district and we are developing it. These are Ghela Somnath near Jasdan, Minal Devi Step well near Virpur, Osam mountain near Upleta and Ish-wariya Park in the outskirts of Rajkot," Patel added.

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

Buddha caves to draw tourists

TNN, Feb 9, 2011