Hundreds of devotees queued up on Saturday to offer prayers at the public exposition of the sacred relics of Lord Buddha at Jivetsal in Leh. The revered site, located along the banks of the Indus and known for hosting teachings by the Dalai Lama during his visits to Ladakh, was enveloped in a deeply spiritual and serene atmosphere as worshippers paid their respects.
The public veneration of the sacred relics of Tathagata Buddha drew a turnout in thousands from Nubra and Durbuk on the opening day of the programme. Venerable monks from Yundung Tharpaling Monastery, Lamayuru, under Ladakh Gonpa Association, conducted the initial prayer ceremony, marking the beginning of the veneration.
Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday inaugurated the exposition of the relics that have been brought from New Delhi.
As part of the ongoing observance, monks from 16 major monasteries of Ladakh will continue to offer prayers on a rotational basis each day.
Devotees from Nubra and Durbuk blocks attended the first day in significant numbers. Long queues were seen throughout the day as people waited for their turn to pay respects. Volunteers of the Ladakh Buddhist Association Youth Wing assisted in crowd management and extended support to elderly and physically challenged devotees.
The programme is being coordinated by the Ladakh Buddhist Association, which has issued a village-wise schedule to ensure participation from all parts of Leh district. According to the organisers, all areas will be covered in a phased manner in the coming days, allowing equal opportunity for devotees to take part in the veneration.
The sacred relics will remain at Jivetsal for public veneration till 10 May, after which they are scheduled to be taken to Zanskar on 11 May for the next phase of the programme.