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Monks who took portion successful the 3rd Dhamma Padayatra-2026, reaching Hyderabad connected Wednesday. | Photo Credit: NAGARA GOPAL
Nearly 70 Buddhist monks and nuns from Thailand and India, clad successful ochre robes, arrived successful Hyderabad connected Wednesday (February 18, 2026) arsenic portion of the 400-kilometre Buddha Dhamma Padayatra, a trans-State spiritual march aimed astatine rekindling consciousness of the Buddha’s teachings successful the onshore of its origin.
The procession reached Kukatpally Y Junction connected Wednesday and was formally received by Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu and Minister for Labour, Employment, Training and Factories, Mines and Geology Gaddam Vivek Venkatswamy. Senior IAS and IPS officers, nationalist representatives and devotees gathered to person the monks, turning the accomplishment into a infinitesimal of reflection successful a bustling metropolis.
The yatra, which began connected February 2 astatine Siddhartha Buddha Vihara successful Kalaburgi, Karnataka, is progressing towards Buddhavanam astatine Nagarjunasagar, wherever it volition culminate connected March 1. The closing ceremonial is scheduled for March 2.
Led by Pra Songshak Kovido, Sangha Project Director from Thailand, and organised by Gagan Malik, president of the Gagan Malik Foundation, Mumbai, the yatra has brought unneurotic 60 Thai bhikshus and nuns on with astir 10 Indian Buddhists.
The Padayatra, described by organisers arsenic the “awakening of Buddha teachings successful India”, is some symbolic and physically demanding. Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Gagan Malik said that the monks person been walking for an mean of six hours each day, carrying astir 8 kilograms of idiosyncratic belongings, including their bhiksha patra, a sleeping nett and indispensable items for sustenance. Participants devour lone erstwhile a day, peculiarly breakfast.
Many of the participating bhikshus person been undertaking specified Dhammayatras for 9 years, aft undergoing a twelvemonth of rigorous training. They proceed to observe the 227 monastic rules that usher the beingness of a bhikshu, adjacent portion connected the road.
Mr. Malik said the yatra is an look of gratitude to India, the onshore wherever Gautama Buddha was calved and wherever the way of Buddhism archetypal took signifier earlier influencing overmuch of Asia. “We beryllium it to India ,several bhikshus said during interactions,” helium shared, adding that portion Buddhism flourished globally, its beingness wrong India remains limited. The yatra, they said, is an effort to mildly reawaken consciousness of the Buddha’s teachings successful the state of its origin.
What has stood retired during the travel is the reception the monks person received crossed communities. Organisers said that masjids, mandirs, Christian institutions arsenic good arsenic Sikhs person welcomed the group, offering food, remainder and encouragement. The gesture, they noted, is simply a almighty connection of interfaith harmony astatine a clip erstwhile specified images are rare. “This is simply a connection not lone for India but for the full world,” Mr. Malik said.
According to the docket of the yatra, aft entering Hyderabad done BHEL and Kukatpally, the monks are acceptable to enactment astatine Mahabodhi Buddha Vihara connected February 20. The procession volition past determination done Uppal, Turkayamjal, Ibrahimpatnam, Yacharam, Mall, Chintapalli, Konda Mallepalli, Angadipet and Peddavura earlier reaching Buddhavanam, Nagarjunasagar, connected March 1. The afloat route, opening from Kalaburagi and covering towns crossed Telangana, spans 423 kilometres.
The Hyderabad limb is portion of a meticulously planned itinerary that began successful aboriginal February and charts regular halts crossed districts including stops successful Lingampally, Sadasivapet, Sangareddy, Isnapur, Yacharam, Chintapally, culminating successful chanting astatine the main temple analyzable successful Buddhavanam. The yatra marks the 3rd specified Dharmayatra undertaken by the organisers, pursuing earlier editions successful Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh. This is the archetypal successful confederate India, an effort to geographically and spiritually reconnect regions to the Buddha’s message.
Importantly, organisers emphasise that the yatra volition not reason astatine Buddhavanam. Instead, it volition people the opening of sustained outreach. Meditation shivirs (or camps) volition beryllium established at, Nagarjunasagar and 2 further locations. These impermanent camps volition connection specialised grooming successful the teachings of the Buddha, meditation practices and an experiential instauration to monastic life, allowing participants to recognize the subject and simplicity of a bhikshu’s regular routine.
