Japanese Ambassador Hiroshi Suzuki Visits the Mahabodhi Temple at Bodh Gaya

The Bihar tourism sector is delighted as Hiroshi Suzuki, the Japanese ambassador to India and Bhutan, showed quite an interest in the historical and iconographical significance of the Buddhist monuments and structures of Bihar.

The recent visit of Hiroshi Suzuki along with a 5-member delegation of Patna to the temple premises of Mahabodhi Temple at Bodh Gaya was a great moment for him as he spent hours inside the temple region and got to learn about the Buddhist cultural and historical significance. Hiroshi also learnt about the rich cultural ties of Buddhism with Southeast Buddhist countries of the world.

Hiroshi Suzuki welcomed at Mahabodhi Temple premises by the Bodhgaya Temple Management Committee

Japanese Ambassador Visits Mahabodhi Temple

The Bodhgaya Temple Management Committee (BTMC) members welcomed Suzuki along with the delegation members to the Mahabodhi Temple's main shrine temple premises where the envoy meditated for five minutes and presented flowers, fruits, incense, and lights to the Buddhist structures and the great Bodhi tree. The monks performed the rituals and chanted several Sutras along with Japanese chants to invoke the blessings of Lord Buddha on the Japanese ambassador and the delegation.

During the visit, Suzuki visited Meditation Park to ring the auspicious Peace Bell thrice and also witnessed the Mucalinda Pond of the nearby area of the temple premises. The Japanese ambassador was accompanied by Mahashweta Maharathi who gave him all the insights of the numerous sacred spots within the Mahabodhi Temple region.

Following the visit, the ambassador received souvenirs that included a model of the Mahabodhi Temple, a Bodhi leaf, and several BTMC publications.