The Lotus Festival in Kalmykia began with an exhibition of Buddhist relics in Lagan

Everyone who wished was able to pray for the benefit of all living beings and to behold with their own eyes the holy relics that the monks of the Central Khurul brought to the Lagan land. This morning, at the Dargyeling Khurul, an exhibition of sacred Buddhist relics began its work, at which the sharira of Buddha Shakyamuni and a sprout of the Bodhi tree are presented.

Before the start of the ceremonial prayer service in honor of the exhibition's opening, the head of the administration of the Central Khurul, Yonten-gelung, told all those gathered in detail about each holy relic, about where they were brought from and  how fortunate our people and our land are that these relics are kept in the main Buddhist temple of Kalmykia. Let us recall that the tree sprout presented at the exhibition is a sprout of the sacred Bodhi tree, under which the Great Buddha attained Enlightenment. And sharira are the particles, in the form of crystalline formations, found after the cremation of Buddha Shakyamuni more than 2500 years ago, which were divided into 8 parts and sent to different states. Several years ago, the government of Sri Lanka presented part of these relics as a gift to the Kalmyk Buddhists.

As the believers who visited the exhibition today noted, for each of them this is a special, momentous day. Today they received the blessing of the Buddha himself🙏

It is gratifying that the Lotus Festival this year in the Lagan district began precisely with the organization of such a holy event as the contemplation of Buddhist holy relics.