A cycle expedition, which commenced from Nepal a month ago to create awareness about environmental and gender-related issues, reached Jammu today.
Around 500 monks and nuns had started the journey on July 3 from Kathmandu towards Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir. It will cover a distance of over 2,500 kms.
"The expedition commencing from one of the monasteries of Drukpa Lineage has become an annual feature aimed at spreading awareness about environmental and gender related issues in both the countries (India and Nepal)," Gyalwang Drukpa, spiritual head of Drukpa Lineage, told reporters.
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He said the expedition traversed through arduous routes in the Himalayan region amid adverse climatic conditions.
"It passed through quake-hit regions of Nepal to the monsoon-hit towns of Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh," he said, adding the expedition will culminate at Hemis Monastery in Ladakh.
He said a grand spiritual festival will be held in Ladakh to commemorate the 1000 birth anniversary of Indian saint Naropa, the patron of the Drukpa Lineage.
Drukpa, who is the founder of Druk Padma Karpo School in Ladakh, popularly known as Rancho School of 3 Idiots fame, said a lot more needs to be done to tackle environment and gender related issues in the country.
"It is good that the government has started Swach Bharat Mission and Beti Bachao and Beti Padhao Mission but a lot needs to be done on the ground to make these missions a success," he said.
While appealing the people of Kashmir to maintain peace and harmony, the spiritual leader said it was necessary for the development of the state.
"Peace has to be maintained from both the sides. It is not a one-way traffic. Bot the both parties need to sit and understand the importance of peace as nobody wants to be killed by gun," he stressed.
He also said people should stop fighting in the name of the religion.
Drukpa, who has been given the title of "Keeper of the Himalayas" by the United Nations, has given space to a large number of women in his monastery.
