Buddha's skull to be enshrined at world-famed tower in China

New Delhi, Aug 13 (ANI): A part of Gautam Buddha's skull will be kept at an ancient Buddhist tower in China's Jiangsu Province, which was a world wonder during the medieval ages.

Buddha's remains, or sarira, would be worshipped in the tower after workers rebuild the tower by the end of 2011, said Kong Li, an official with the city government of Nanjing on Thursday.

The rebuilding work is to begin at the tower's original site this year, more than 150 years after it was destroyed. A ruins park would also be built at the same location, Xinhua quoted Kong, as saying.

The Porcelain Tower of Nanjing, also known as "Bao'en Temple", which means "Temple of Gratitude", was ranked one of the Seven Wonders of the World during medieval times.

The tower was first built during the reign of Chinese Emperor Yong Le (1403-1425) of the Ming Dynasty for his mother. But it was completely destroyed during the war between the Qing Imperial Court and the Taiping rebels in 1856.

The holy remains to be enshrined in the Porcelain Tower were unveiled in June this year. Uncovered from an underground chamber of the Porcelain Tower, the sarira is now enshrined in Qixia Temple in Nanjing.

It is said that 2,500 years ago, Buddha's disciples recovered one skull bone, four teeth, two collarbones and 84,000 particles of relics from the cremation pyre of Sakyamuni.

Danapala, an eminent monk from India, brought the skull bone of Sakyamuni to China as tribute during the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127 A.D.), said Hua Guorong, deputy head of Nanjing City Museum. (ANI)