At the age of eighty, before his A death in Kusinara, the Lord Buddha predicted:

“After I am no more, O Ananda, men of belief will visit four places with faith, curiosity, and devotion: Lumbini where I was born, Bodhgaya where I attained enlightenment, Sarnath where I gave the first sermons, and Kusinara where I shall pass into Mahaparinirvana. Those who make such pilgrimages will be reborn on the dissolution of their body after death in a heavenly state.”

Fifty-six years ago, Pasang Futar and his pregnant wife Lhakpa Futi walked all the way from Namche Bazaar to Bodhgaya with a mission to save their unborn child. After their first daughter and a son, seven children were born to the Futars, but none of them survived. At Bodhgaya, they prayed, sought blessings, and returned to their village. Their child — a son — was born and was aptly named Dorji Tsering (synonymous with Bodhgaya).

Years later, a trip to Bodhgaya was arranged by my sister Ang Futi (Sophie). The team consisted of our mother, Lhakpa Futi, who is now 96 years, Ang Fura, who is 93 years, Ang Chemi 89, Ang Norbu, Lhakpa Doma and their granddaughter Tshiring, along with my wife Anju and myself. The elders wished to see Bodhgaya for the last time and pay homage to the visiting Dalai Lama.

We left Kathmandu on December 31st 2009, on a Toyota micro bus. A special bed was made on the bus so that the three elderly ladies could lie down comfortably during the long drive to Rajgriha and all the holy places we would pass on the way to Bodhgaya and back to Lumbini.

The drastic changes and rapid progress in the development being made in the state of Bihar was just amazing. How a dedicated politician can make so much of difference in such a short span of time! There are many highways of four and eight lanes crisscrossing to reach other states. The roads that lead to a number of religious sites, including Rajgriha, Nalanda, Bodhgaya, Vaishali, and Kusinara, are well made, clean, with  proper signs for directions as well as well managed traffic systems. There are hundreds of buses, jeeps, and cars, but you will be amazed at the ease with which it is all managed. Its just not the Bihar that those who saw in the days of old remember.

We stayed a day at Rajgriha, visiting the caves where Lord Buddha had meditated for 6 years and took a dip at the hot springs where it is believed that all diseases are cured. Most people visiting these places are Indian nationals from various states. The reasonable priced guest houses and lodges and markets are bustling with activity, a domestic tourism ideal.

We safely reached Bodhgaya where Gautam Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment under a Bodhi Tree. My mother and aunts were happy being able to visit the MahaBodhi Vihar to pray and light incense for all who had passed away and for the long life of all the living. The Dalai Lama also arrived in Bodhgaya, along with many high ranking Buddhist teachers and monks to preach and give sermons to a huge mass of people. Thousands of devotees from all over India, Nepal, Bhutan, and other countries were quietly listening to the sermons of the Dalai Lama.

My mother and aunts would visit the Mahabodhi Vihar every morning to listen to the sermons and preachings of the Dalai Lama during the day. The best part was when we had the opportunity to have a private meeting with The Dalai Lama himself. And although my father was not able to be with us, my mother and aunts’ happiness knew no bounds.

After a week at Bodhgaya, we left for Vaishali and then reached Kusinara, the place where Lord Buddha passed away. After a long drive of almost 15 hours we reached Kusinara late at night. We were warmly received by a group of Cambodian monks at their monastery where we all slept after an exhausting trip. The next morning, we visited the site where Lord Buddha passed away. The site of the cremation ground, which we also visited, has been extremely well preserved, a true testament to our religious history

We decided not to visit Sarnath, taking in to consideration the long drive and the health of our mother and aunts. Instead, we headed home to Lumbini. The cleanliness, comfortable road, and the greenery in all the sites that we visited slowly faded in front of our eyes as we were neared the Nepal border. We were first greeted at Sunauli by a long line of trucks and buses waiting to enter Nepal. Almost instantly, the stark realisation hits that you that you are entering a place where law and order has disappeared and replaced by chaos, dirt and disorder.

You instantly feel pity, a loss of self esteem, desperation, and frustration at the situation all around you in your own country. The condition of the single lane road leading to the birth place of Lord Buddha is covered with potholes, and crowded with trucks and tractors belonging to the numerous cement factories built all the way to the historical sites. The narrow bridges are on the verge of collapse and massive sheds and houses are encroaching into the small roads; it almost seems deliberate obstruction to the few pilgrims that still visit Lumbini. The few kilometers of roads from the Indian border to the site took us hours of torturous driving. We were not allowed to enter the site on our vehicle but were asked to take rickshaws which were charging a hefty amount. The comfort and ease of the pilgrims is clearly not a priority there. We stayed in a monastery outside the temple for the night and planned to stay for two days visiting Kapilvastu and many other religious sites in and around Lumbini.

The next morning we visited the Mayadevi temple. The dirt and the din of shopkeepers haggling at the entrance and the unkempt look all around the birth place will move you to tears. I would not have known the extent of the irresponsibility, incompetence, and shamelessness of our people and administrations if I had not visited the other sites in India. You see the sheer negligence on the part of the concerned authority at Lumbini. We didn’t want to stay; in fact, we left for Kathmandu after an hour.

No wonder tourists from abroad just visit the Mayadevi temple for an hour or so and head back. There are no amenities, no facilities- nothing to create a sense of welcome for visitors. It is the government’s responsibility to take action immediately to preserve, develop, and manage this site, which is one of great value to believers all over the world. After all, what is the point of history or faith if we do not make efforts to preserve our heritage and learn from it?

(Dorji Tsering Sherpa is the director of the Nepal National Aviation Council (NNAC))

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