Back to the roots: Korean monks visit Swat

Delegation meets University of Swat vice chancellor.

ODIGRAM: An eight-member delegation of Buddhist monks from South Korea, along with the K-P minister for tourism, visited the University of Swat (UoS) on Friday.

Earlier, the monks took a tour of Swat Museum and the Buddhist monastery at Butkara-I, where they performed religious rituals.

The monks met UoS Vice Chancellor Dr Mohammad Jahanzeb, who welcomed them on their arrival to Swat, a land sacred for Buddhists. He told the Korean delegation that Swat was the cradle of Buddhism and ruins of ancient Buddhist buildings were scattered everywhere. “Soon, an archaeology department will be opened at the University of Swat,” he revealed.

K-P Minister for Tourism and Culture Amjad Afridi said the archaeological sites of Swat remained a central attraction for tourists. “The KP government is working to promote tourism in Swat,” he said, adding that protection of the archaeological sites was a top priority.

The visit has been organised by the K-P government to portray a soft image of K-P and promote the region through religious tourism. One of the objectives of the visit is to reestablish ancient links between the regions as Buddhism spread to Korea from ancient Gandhara.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 25^th, 2014.