The celebration takes place under the Bodhi tree then Indian President Rajendra Prasad gifted to Vietnamese President Ho Chi Minh 60 years ago. (Photo: dangcongsan.vn)Hanoi (VNA) – A ceremony was held in Hanoi on December 22 to celebratethe 60th year since then Indian President Rajendra Prasad gifted a Bodhi treeto Vietnamese President Ho Chi Minh in 1959.
The event wasco-held by the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha and the Embassy of India at Tran QuocPagoda where the tree was planted.
Speaking atthe ceremony, head of TranQuoc Pagoda Venerable Thich Thanh Nha said under the Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya,Bihar in India, Lord Buddhaattained enlightenment thousands of years ago.
Hisenlightenment conveyed a message of peace and a way to freemankind from sufferings, as well as to breed compassion and wisdom, so the Bodhi treesymbolises Lord Buddha’s wisdom and enlightenment, he said.
Six decadesago, Indian President Rajendra Prasad himself brought a sapling from the revered Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya to present to President Ho Chi Minh on the occasion ofhis visit to Hanoi. Many high-profile leaders from India have visited Tran QuocPagoda to worship Buddha and the Bodhi tree, a symbol of the Vietnam-Indiafriendship.
The celebration aimed to further strengthen the long-standing tiesbetween the two countries and to promote Buddhist doctorines for global peace,prosperity and harmony, he added.
IndianAmbassador Pranay Verma, for his part, said the Bodhi tree at Tran Quoc Pagoda demonstrates the long-standing cultural and civilizedconnection between India and Vietnam as Buddhism was introduced to Vietnam by India nearly 2,000 years ago. It hascontributed to consolidating the two nations’ friendship in recent years, hesaid./.
VNA
