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Bhubaneswar ( Orissa ): The much talked about South Asia’s biggest Buddhist monastery was on Tuesday inaugurated by exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama at the Phuntsokling Tibetan settlement colony in Chandragiri of Orissa’s tribal dominated Gajapati district.
Inaugurating the monastery, the Dalai Lama said he was very happy to inaugurate the well-decorated beautiful Padmasambhava Mahavihara Monastery of the Rigon Thupten Mindroling.
The 85 ft high five-storied Rigon Thumpten Mindroling Monastery, built on 10 acres of land, houses a 21-foot-high Buddha idol has been named after founder of the Vajrayana sect of the Mahayana path of Buddhism Padmasambhava during the seventh century in Orissa.
Addressing the monks in Tibetan language the Dalai Lama said in Tibet there was no right for an individual to follow and practice religion of his choice.
''But India, being a secular country, has given its citizens the freedom to practise the religion of their choice,'' he said.
He said Buddhism is not only practised in Tibet but followed in different forms in vast areas ranging from Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh.
The spiritual guru urged upon the Tibetans to save the scripts and the religion. Some 5000 delegates across the country and abroad attended the inauguration ceremony.
During the Chinese Aggression of Tibet in 1959, these Tibetan refugees crossed over to India along with the Dalai Lama and were allotted this spot.
About 600 Tibetan refugee families had settled in five camps in Chandragiri area, which is topographically and climatically similar to the Himalayan State.
The refuges living at five camps are located at Chandragiri, Takullipada, Lasbarsing, Jeeranga and Mahendragada areas of the district.
They built cottages and camps and a monastery resembling what they had left in Tibet. The beautiful houses and well-maintained gardens reflect the economic independence of the residents.
Colourful flags decorated with dragons and inscribed with prayers welcome anyone under the clean blue sky.
