Sarnath to twinkle on May 13

Varanasi, May 12 (UNI) The world-famous Buddhist pilgrimage of Sarnath will twinkle tomorrow with 20,000 earthen 'diyas' on Buddh Purnima.

The twinkling fantasy will be pervasive on Saturday evening at the Mulgandh Kuti Vihara complex, Dhammeekh Stupa and the sacred site of Isipatana, to mark Buddh Purnima and the 2550th Great Parinirvana of Buddha, Divisional Commissioner C N Dubey told newspersons here yesterday.

He informed the Parinirvana celebrations will also entail two-day annual fiesta termed Buddha Mahotsava and Buddhist Seminar, to be inaugurated by Uttar Pradesh tourism minister Kokab Hamid.

While the Mahotsava will comprise cultural extravaganza, the seminar includes keynote speech by Information Commissioner, Central Information Commission, O P Kejariwal, Vice-Chancellor of Purvanchal University K P Singh, Mahant of Sankatmochan temple Veer Bhadra Mishra and Prof Yeshi Thabkhes from Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies, Sarnath.

The twinkling fantasy will be a replication of the world famous Dev Deepawali -- when the 84 Ganga Ghats are decorated with infinite diyas on the occasion of Kartik Purnima.

''We want to make this year's Buddh Purnima celebrations a tourist and shutterbug's delight akin to Dev Deepawali. The 20,000 diyas this year, will be increased to one lakh during next year's Buddh Purnima celebrations,'' Mr Dubey added.

UNI ARS VS YA RK0842