TheVirtual Prayer Event saw participation of heads of Buddhist Sanghas from around the world
The program is dedicated as Global Prayer Week in honour of Victims and frontline warriors of COVID-19 Posted On: 07 MAY 2020 5:05PM by PIB Delhi
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi addressed the virtual Vesak Global Celebrations on Buddha Purnima today. Minister of State for Culture(I/C) and Minister of State for Tourism(I/C), Shri Prahlad Singh Patel and Minister of State for Youth Affairs & Sports(I/C) and Minister of State for Minority Affairs, Shri Kiren Rijiju also participated in the event held virtually.
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in his keynote said that the life, teachings and message of Lord Buddha have continued to enrich the lives of people across the globe. His message is not limited to any one circumstance, or to any one subject. Time changed, the situation changed, the functioning of society changed, but the message of Lord Buddha has been continuously flowing in our lives. Buddha is not just a name, but also a sacred thought, a thought that beats in every human heart and guides humanity.
Prime Minister further said that Friends, each and every word, each and every discourse of Lord Buddha reinforce India's commitment to serve humanity. Buddha symbolizes both the Enlightenment of India and the Self-Realization of India. With this self-realization, India is and will continue to work for the benefit of entire humanity, the whole world. India's progress will always be helpful in the progress of the world.
Speaking on the occasion, Minister of State for Culture(I/C) and Minister of State for Tourism (I/C) Shri Prahlad Singh Patel congratulated everyone on the Buddha Purnima and expressed his gratitude towards Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji who had taken the initiative to observe Buddha Purnima as national celebration in 2015. Shri Patel said that Lord Buddha shows us the power of love and non violence. Lord Buddha teaches the whole word that non-violence is the language of knowledge. He said that Lord Buddha teaches the power of love to the world. Shri Patel also shared examples of Lord Buddha's preaching during his address.
Minister of State for Youth Affairs & Sports(I/C) and Minister of State for Minority Affairs, Shri KirenRijiju said that "I am feeling great that people from all over the word gathered virtually just like a family to celebrate the Buddha Purnima in the time of Covid-19 . I believe this is the best example of VasudhaivaKutumbakam , which means the world is one family."
Ministry of Culture, Governmentof India in collaboration with the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC), a global Buddhist umbrella organised the Virtual Prayer Event with the participation of heads of Buddhist Sanghas from around the world. Buddha Purnima celebrations are being held through a virtual congregation owing to the impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic across the globe. It is also being dedicated as Global Prayer Week in honour of the Victims and the frontline warriors of COVID-19.
Prayer ceremonies on the occasion were streamed live from the Mahabodhi Temple, Bodhgaya , Mulgandha Kuti Vihara, Sarnath, India, Parinirvana Stupa, Kushinagar ,India ; Sacred Garden Lumbini, Nepal; Pirith Chanting from Ruwanweli Maha Seya in the sacred and historic Anuradhapura stupa premises, Sri Lanka; Boudhanath, Swayambhu, Namo Stupas, Nepal apart from other popular Buddhist sites.
The program was live streamed on FB live, YouTube from IBC social media handles as well as on Mandala mobile app.
It was viewed by large audiences in India ,Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, S. Korea, Myanmar, Mongolia, Malaysia, Nepal, Russia, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Taiwan, Vietnam among others.
Vesak- Buddha Poornima, is considered the Triple Blessed Day as it celebrates Tathagata Gautam Buddha's Birth, Enlightenment and Maha Parnirvana.
“The alliance between technology stakeholders will help the traditional knowledge of AYUSH to reach a large global population” Posted On: 07 MAY 2020 4:08PM by PIB Delhi
Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Union Health & Family Welfare Minister launched the ‘AYUSH Sanjivani’ App and two AYUSH based studies related to COVID-19 situation, here today, in the presence of Shri Shripad Yesso Naik, MoS (I/c), AYUSH who participated through Video Conferencing from Goa.
Highlighting the importance of harnessing technology for COVID-19 response, the Union Health Minister said “The ‘AYUSH Sanjivani ’ mobile app, which has been launched today, will help to generate data on acceptance and usage of AYUSH advocacies and measures among the population and its impact in prevention of COVID 19. It is developed by Ministry of AYUSH and MEITY and shall reach out to a target of 50 lakh people.”
Dr. Harsh Vardhan stated that COVID-19 mangement has provided a potent platform for alliance between MoHFW, MoAYUSH and technology organisations such as CSIR, ICMR, and UGC to not only develop AYUSH interventions and solutions, but also help in promoting AYUSH knowledge for the larger good of the global community. These organisations are joinging hands today and are being supported and guided by ICMR and DCGI in propagating the wholesomeness and holistic health benefits of the age-old traditional medicinal knolwedge of Ayurveda, he added.
In addition to the App, Dr Harsh Vardhan also launched two more scientific studies. One is the collaborative clinical research study on Ayurveda interventions as prophylaxis and as an add-on to standard care to COVID 19, which shall be a joint initiative of Ministry of AYUSH, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and the Ministry of Science & Technology through Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) with technical support of ICMR.
The Interdisciplinary Ayush R&D Task Force headed by Dr Bhushan Patvardhan, Vice Chairman, University Grant Commission (UGC), has formulated and designed clinical research protocols for prophylactic studies and add-on interventions in COVID-19 positive cases through thorough review and consultative process of experts of high repute from different organisations across the country for studying four different interventions viz. Ashwagandha, Yashtimadhu, Guduchi +Pippali and a poly herbal formulation (AYUSH-64). This includes the following two areas:
Ashwagandha for the Prophylaxis Against SARS-COV-2 in subjects with increased risk during the COVID 19 Pandemic: A comparison with Hydroxychloroquine in the health care providers, and Effectiveness of Ayurveda Formulation as an adjunct to ‘Standard of Care’ for the Treatment of Mild to Moderate COVID-19: A Randomized, Open Label, Parallel Efficacy, Active Control, Multi-Centre Exploratory Drug Trial.
Dr Harsh Vardhan alsolaunched the population based interventional studies on impact of AYUSH based prophylactic interventions for prevention of COVID-19 infection in high risk population. The core objectives comprise of assessment of preventive potential of AYUSH interventions for COVID 19 and to assess the improvement in quality of life in high risk population. The study will be carried out through four Research Councils under Ministry of AYUSH and National Institutes in 25 states across the country and several State Governments covering approximately 5 lakh population. The outcome of the study is expected to pave a new horizon in understanding the preventive potential of AYUSH interventions during pandemics like COVID 19 through scientific evidence.
Elaborating on the import of these studies, Dr Harsh Vardhan stated that these studies shall re-establish the importance of AYUSH pathies with the help of rigour of CSIR, ICMR and DCGI. “This is truly a momentous day. The technology alliance provides valuable opportunity for such knowledge based solutions to continue to benefit us even after the COVID-19 pandemic has passed, by possible integration of AYUSH in the mainstream scientific efforts”, he added.
Let us also understand that the modern pathies of medicine and science are not in competition with those of AYUSH, but they complement and strengthen each other in intrinsic ways, Dr Harsh Vardhan stated. Under the leadership of our beloved Prime Minister, AYUSH advisories for enhancing immunity during COVID-19 pandemic have been acknowledged the world over, he said.
Shri Rajesh Bhushan, OSD/Secretary (HFW), Shri Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, AYUSH, Dr. Shekhar Mande, Director General, Council of Scientific & Industrial Research, Dr. V. G. Somani, Drugs Controller General of India, and other senior officers of MoHFW and AYUSH were also present at the launch event.
About Rabindranath Tagore: Early life: Popularly known as ‘Gurudev’, he was born in an affluent Family. Tagore was primarily known as a writer, poet, playwright, philosopher and aesthetician, music composer and choreographer, founder of a unique educational institution – Visva- Bharati and a painter.
Tagore began writing poetry at the tender age of eight years old and at 16 years of age,Tagore released his first collection of poems under the pen name ‘Bhanusimha’.
He had spoken at the World Parliament for Religions in the years 1929 and 1937.
Contributions: He wrote the National Anthems of India and Bangladesh. He left his imprint on art and played a role in transforming its practices and ushering into modernism.
Between 1928 and 1940, Rabindranath painted more than 2000 images. He never gave any title to his paintings. Expressionism in European art and the primitive art of ancient cultures inspired him.
Awards: In 1913, he became the first Indian to receive a Nobel Prize in Literature for his novel ‘Geetanjali’.
Role in the freedom struggle: He denounced British imperialism, yet he did not fully support or agree with Gandhi and his Non-cooperation Movement. He viewed British rule as a symptom of the overall “sickness” of the social “disease” of the public.
In his writings, he also voiced his support of Indian nationalists. Rabindranath Tagore wrote the song Banglar Mati Banglar Jol (Soil of Bengal, Water of Bengal) to unite the Bengali population after Bengal partition in 1905.
He also wrote the famed ‘Amar Sonar Bangla’which helped ignite a feeling of nationalism amongst people. He started the Rakhi Utsavwhere people from Hindu and Muslim communities tied colourful threads on each other’s wrists.
Tagore rejected violence from the British as well and renounced the knighthood that had been given to him by Lord Hardinge in 1915 in protest of the violent Amritsar massacre in which the British killed at least 1526 unarmed Indian citizens.
The cornerstone of Tagore’s beliefs and work is the idea that anti-colonialism cannot simply be achieved by rejecting all things British, but should consist of incorporating all the best aspects of western culture into the best of Indian culture.
What freedom meant for Tagore? “Freedom” does not simply mean political freedom from the British; True freedom means the ability to be truthful and honest with oneself otherwise autonomy loses all of its worth.