Magnificence, Magnanimity and Morality in action: The maiden Global Buddhist

The first Global Buddhist summit will be held in Delhi on April 20 and 21, said Union Culture and tourism minister G. Kishan Reddy on Monday. Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Kishan Reddy said that Buddhist monks and others from 30 countries are expected to attend the event.

"We are expecting 170 foreign delegates and another 150 from India," he said.

The summit is being organized in conjunction with the International Buddhist Conference, a non-governmental organization. The theme of the two-day event is ‘Responses to contemporary challenges, philosophy to practice’.

"Buddhism was born in India and all those who follow the religion are keen to visit all places associated with the Buddha," he said.

Buddhism and India have shared a log- standing relationship since its very beginning stared 5th century BCE. With a long and complex history in India, religion has had a significant impact on Indian culture and society.

During the early years of Buddhism, it was mainly practised in India, and many of the religin's key teachings were developed and refined in this region.

Many Indian rulers, such as Ashoka, were proponents of Buddhism and helipad to spread the religion throughout the country. Buddhist temples and monastery's were established throughout India, and religion played an important role in shaping Indian art, literature, and philosophy.

Today, Buddhism counties to be an important part of India's cultural heritage, and many Buddhist pilgrimage sites are located throughout the country. 

Over the centuries, Buddhism spread across Asia and beyond, but it has remined an important part of Indian cultural heritage.

In an attempt to reconnect with the cultural aspects and better integrate Buddhist indias, the maiden Global Buddhist Summit will be held on April 20-21 in New Delhi in a collaborative setup between the Ministry of Culture and the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC).