No progress has been made on the Gujarat government's plan to build the world's second tallest statue of Gautam Buddha in Sabarkantha district and to develop the place into an international Buddhism destination, a member of a Buddhist organisation claimed here on Sunday.
The government had proposed to develop Dev Ni Mori in Sabarkantha district into an "international Buddhist destination" with "the second tallest statue of Buddha (108 metre) in the world after the Spring Temple statue in China (153 metre).
The prposed statue will be more in height than the Thailand-based Sitting Buddha statue (92 metre).
The estimated cost of the project is around Rs 1200 crore.
"The state government has proposed a very big project at 'Dev Ni Mori', but has not yet sanctioned any fund, which has stalled the project. We are also struggling for it and trying to make it possible as early as possible," said Bhante Prasheel Ratna Gautam, president of Sanghakaya Foundation, a non-profit Buddhist organisation.
He was speaking on the sidelines of the 4th International Buddhist Conference on Peace and Solidarity, which was inaugurated on Sunday, being organised at the Gujarat University here.
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129 Buddhist monks from different parts of the country and abroad, apart from common people, are participating in the three-day conference.
"We don't think the government has any issue regarding funds. The government has not said no to the project, but it is not taking it forward either," Gautam said.
The state archaeological department had carried out excavation at Dev Ni Mori near Shamlaji, an important Hindu pilgrimage destination, during 1960-1963.
During excavation, remains of a Buddhist monastery dated 3rd-4th century AD were found. A casket was found, which as per its inscription, contained relics of Gautam Budhha.
The 1700-year-old casket is currently kept at the MS University of Baroda in Vadodara.
Gautam said Sanghakaya Foundation had also proposed to construct a 80-120 metre tall statue of Lord Buddha for which land was identified at Aluva village in Gandhinagar district.
"The collector of Gandhinagar district had identified the land at Aluva village in Gandhinagar on the banks of the Sabarmati river. We propose to build a 80-120 metre tall statue of Gautam Buddha there," he said.
The Foundation also gifted a five-foot statue of Gautam Buddha to the Gujarat University and signed an MoU to promote Buddhist studies, Gautam added.
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