KATHMANDU, Nepal- Nepal Police have stepped up security directing its officials to remain in high alert at all of Buddhist shrines in the country following a serial blasts at the historic Mahabodhi temple at Bodh Gaya in the neighbouring Indian state of Bihar.
The police have beefed-up the securities at all the Buddhist Stupas, including Lumbini, in the country, a day after 10 low-intensity serial blasts rocked one of the major four Buddhist shrines in Bodh Gaya.
According to the Buddhism, there are four major shrines that all Buddhist must pay homage including Lumbini (some 500-kms South-West of Kathmandu and close to the border with India) in Nepal, where Lord Buddha was born some 2,600 years ago, Bodh Gaya, the place where prince Siddhartha is said to have obtained Enlightenment (Bodhimandala) to become Lord Gautama Buddha , Sarnath where Gautama Buddha first taught the Dharma, and where the Buddhist Sangha came into existence through the enlightenment of Kondanna and Kusinagar, where Gautama Buddha attained Maha Parinirvana after his death.
Officials of the Nepal Police have confirmed the heightened security majors in Buddhist Stupas and shrines across the country.
Security has been stepped up in Lumbini, the birth place of Buddha, Tilaurakot of Kapilvastu, and Swoyambhu and Bouddhanath in Kathmandu, which are also the major tourist attractions, said Nabaraj Silwal, spokesman of Nepal Police.
“We will soon deploy more security personnel in these Buddhist shrines in view of the recent attack on the Buddhist shrine in India,” he said.
News report from Lumbini said security committee of Lumbini area has took over additional measure with security personnel of the Lumbini Development Trust (LDT) and Nepal Police have been spread at all the four directions of the temple following the Bodh Gaya attacks.
Reports quoting chief of Rupandehi Police DSP Hari Bahadur Pal said two dozen more additional police personnel led by inspector have been deployed from the Riot Control Battalion since Sunday night.
Close circuit cameras have already been installed to beef up the security of Maya Devi Temple and a walk-through machine has been put in at the main gate of the Temple in the north after making it compulsory for every visitor to enter temple.
The terror struck one of the holiest Buddhist shrines, the Mahabodhi Temple, and other places in Buddhist’s pilgrimage town of Bodh Gaya, with suspected Indian Mujahideen operatives simultaneously triggering 10 low intensity bombs leaving two monks injured.
Recently, both the Nepali and Indian tourism entrepreneurs have agreed to promote the Buddhist circuit jointly. According to the data of Nepal Tourism Board, 90 percent of foreign tourists come to Lumbini after paying visit to Bodh Gaya.
Meanwhile, a team of international archaeologists have unearthed remains of temples, wooden shrines and a village in Lumbini dating back to 1300 BC. This was for the first time in South Asia that the pre-Ashoka Buddhist shrine was discovered.
Prior to this, Ashoka Pillar built by the Indian Emperor in 300 BC is known as the oldest Buddhist shrine discovered so far.
