The Hindu : Dalai Lama to open Buddhist complex tomorrow

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Apr 05, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh-Hyderabad

Dalai Lama to open Buddhist complex tomorrow

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD April 4. The Dalai Lama would inaugurate the Ananda Buddha Vihara and consecrate the shrine at the newly constructed complex at Mahendra Hills in the city on April 6. The Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, would lay the corner stone for the Bodhisatva Bhavan on the occasion.

Addressing a press conference here on Friday, C. Anjaneya Reddy, vice-chairman of the Ananda Buddha Vihara Trust, said the vihara was part of the Buddhist complex coming up at a cost of Rs.10 crores on a three-acre site. The first phase, costing around Rs.3.30 crores, include a shrine, which was ready for inauguration, and a museum and library, work on which was in progress.

The cultural complex, once completed, would include a `stupa' and an activity centre. Apart from a Buddhist art gallery, efforts were being made to recreate the ambience of Amaravati and Nagarjunakonda at the museum.

In the subsequent phases, the complex would get an activity block for creating facilities pertaining to social activities such as free dispensary for traditional Indian and Tibetan medicine, apart from an orphanage for street children, Mr. Reddy said.

The Union Minister of State for Railways, Bandaru Dattatreya, and the Union Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, V. Sreenivasa Prasad, would also be present at the inaugural on Sunday. The corner stone for the `stupa' and the meditation complex would be laid by Hui Chong of Taiwan's Fo Guang Shan temple. The trust chairman, K. Sangharakshita Mahathera, and others were also present.

Traffic curbs

Meanwhile, the Traffic police imposed restrictions between April 5 and 7 on account of the visit of the Dalai Lama.

The following are the restrictions/diversions, according to a press release: On Saturday, between 6.45 p.m. and 7.45 p.m., traffic will be stopped/diverted on the stretch from the airport and Taj Krishna at Rasoolpura Junction, Greenlands, Rajiv Gandhi Statue, Punjagutta crossroads, NFCL Junction, D.P. Colony and Road No. 7.

Between 8.45 a.m. and 9.45 a.m. on Sunday, traffic will be diverted/stopped on the stretch from Taj Krishna to Ananda Buddha Vihara Trust Complex at Road No. 7, D.P. Colony, NFCL Junction, Punjagutta, Rajiv Gandhi Statue, Greenlands, Rasoolpura, CTO Junction, YMCA, Marredpally, Shenoy Nursing Home, AOC Checkpost, Mahendra Hills and Addagutta crossroads. On the return stretch, the same restrictions will apply from 11.15 a.m. to 12.15 p.m.

Between Taj Krishna and Ravindra Bharathi from 2.30 p.m. to 3.15 p.m., traffic will be diverted/stopped at Taj Krishna, KCP Guesthouse, Visveswaraiah Statue, Nirankari Bhavan, Old Saifabad police station, Ravindra Bharathi and Police Control Room. The same restrictions apply in the return direction from 5 p.m. to 5.15 p.m.

On Monday, between 7.30 a.m. and 8 a.m., traffic will be stopped/diverted on the Taj Krishna - airport stretch, at Road No. 7, D.P. Colony, NFCL Junction, Punjagutta crossroads, Rajiv Gandhi Statue, Greenlands and Rasoolpura Junction.

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