Nawalparasi, April 30

Stakeholders in Nawalparasi have demanded that the Ramgram monastery located in Ramgram Ujaini in West Nawalparasi be listed as a world heritage site.

The monastery carries a special significance for Buddhist devotees all over the world as it contains the last remains of Lord Buddha.

As a site with such a level of historic and religious significance doesn’t figure on the list of the world heritage sites, no one, not even at home or abroad bothers to protect and promote this site, said archaeologists, locals and stakeholders at a programme organised at the monastery today on the occasion of 2562nd Buddha Jayanti.

“Ramgram monastery is a very important site, more important than Lumbini itself given that it has the last remains of the Buddha, but no one is interested in promoting this, not even the Lumbini Development Trust,” said Provincial Assembly member Baijanath Jayasawal of Province 5.

He also  warned that they would be forced to form a separate development fund to promote and develop Ramgram monastery if the provincial government did not take necessary steps.

Speakers at the programme also lamented how the Lumbini Development Trust had ignored the need to promote Panditpur, the maternal village of Lord Buddha.