PESHAWAR: A senior Buddhist monk of the Sangha Supreme Council of Thailand rang the “Bell of Peace” at Peshawar Museum on Wednesday and prayed for peace for humanity.

“I feel very impressed as I can touch the power inside this area … I think peace from this area can protect Pakistan and if Pakistanis respect Dhamma [cosmic law and order] and practise it then peace will protect Pakistanis and the entire mankind,” said The Most Venerable Arayawangso, a distinguished Buddhist monk from Thailand, who is on a five-day visit to Pakistan.

He was visiting Peshawar Museum with a 15-member delegation while on a tour to the historical sites of Gandhara and holy places of Bhamala in Khanpur and Takht Bhai in Mardan.

The delegation members prayed in front of the rare statues of Buddha displayed at the museum. Earlier, South Korean monks had also visited the Gandhara sites and the Peshawar Museum.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has more than 2,000 sites of Gandhara civilisation.

Published in Dawn, October 31st, 2019