Over 10,000 devotees attend Buddhist Monk Gyaneshwar's final journey in Kushinagar

Gorakhpur (UP), Nov 11 (PTI) The final journey of Mahasthavir Bhadanta Gyaneshwar, president of the Kushinagar Bhikkhu Sangh, was held on Tuesday morning in Uttar Pradesh’s Kushinagar district, drawing a crowd of over 10,000 devotees, monks, and followers from 40 countries.

The procession began from the Burmese Buddhist Vihar and passed through major city routes before concluding at the Vihar cremation ground.

Former ministers Swami Prasad Maurya and Babu Singh Kushwaha, along with former MP Sanghmitra Maurya, joined the prayers.

Myanmar’s Ambassador Zau Oo, and several senior monks from from Myanmar, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Nepal, China, and other Buddhist nations joined Indian followers in bidding a solemn farewell.

Children lined the route, showering petals and chanting "Bhante Gyaneshwar Amar Rahein".

Bhante Gyaneshwar, 90, passed away on October 31 at Medanta Hospital, Lucknow, after a prolonged illness. His body had been preserved at the Myanmar Temple in Kushinagar, where dignitaries, including Myanmar's envoy, district magistrate, and superintendent of police, offered homage.

Remembering him, Bhante Nandaratana said, "Guruji taught us to keep the mind as pure as glass — clear and free of malice." His disciple, Upasika Dhamma Naina, shared that his last wish was to be cremated within the temple premises. PTI COR ABN ANM ANM ANM