HUMAN PLAY-NET

Patna, Sep 8 (IANS) They are not Hindus, not even Indians. They all are from various foreign lands, visiting India as tourists; yet they are performing the Hindu ritual of Pind Daan , like lakhs of other Hindus, in the pilgrim town of Gaya in Bihar. Every year during "Pitrapaksh" -- the 15-day lunar period as per the Hindu calendar, falling immediately after "Anant Chaturdashi" or "Ganesh Visarjan" -- Hindus descend on this pilgrim town to perform the  Pind Daan  ritual for salvation of their ancestors' souls. A group of 18 foreign tourists, mostly from Germany, Spain and Russia, offered  Pind Daan  on Friday in Gaya, about 100 km from state capital Patna, much to the surprise of thousands of Hindu pilgrims gathered here from across the country, a district administration official said. "They performed  Pind Daan  in Gaya for their family and ancestors and expressed their amazing experiences," said an official. They will stay in Ga...

THE ambience around that great pipal tree where Buddhism was born…the piety in the air…the people inhabiting the land… I had been longing to see them all. So finally, one winter morning last year, I took time off, shoved my travel-ware into a bag and set out on a journey to discover the present-day Uruvela, the ancient name of Bodh Gaya . It was my own discovery… I decided to undertake a train journey, for that’s perhaps the best way to see India, in all its hues. As the train rolled off the noisy New Delhi railway station, I closed my eyes to focus on the saintly Prince who had wandered far and wide in search of the supreme peace for six long years. But it was Bodh Gaya that spelt culmination of his holy mission. As the night crept past and I gazed into its the darkness outside, I thought I saw the silhouette of a smiling Buddha…through the windows of the running train - now there…now not! The next morning I alighted at Gaya , the railway station nearest to the holy city, about 16...