President Draupadi Murmu Inaugurates ‘Vishwashanti Buddha Vihar’ in Udgir

Latur : President Draupadi Murmu inaugurated the newly constructed Vishwashanti Buddha Vihara in the Talves area of Udgir, Latur District.

The event was presided over by Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan, with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Guardian Minister Girish Mahajan, Sports Minister Sanjay Bansode, Women and Child Development Minister Aditi Tatkare, and MLAs Vikram Kale, Ramesh Karad, and Abhimanyu Pawar, along with District Collector Varsha Thakur-Ghuge, in attendance.

President Murmu unveiled the foundation plaque, cut the ribbon, and formally inaugurated the Vihara. During her visit, she paid homage to the statue of Gautama Buddha and also offered flowers to the statue of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar. A Buddhist worship ceremony was conducted, after which President Murmu donated robes (Chivar) to the attending Buddhist monks. In a special gesture, a monk presented an idol of Gautama Buddha to President Murmu. Sports Minister Sanjay Bansode welcomed the gathering at the event.

Key Features of the Vihara
The Vishwashanti Buddha Vihara in Udgir is modeled after the Buddha Vihara in Kalburgi, Karnataka. It is spread over 1.15 hectares and includes a meditation center with seating for 1,200 people. The Vihara’s main entrance is inspired by the design of the famous Sanchi Stupa in Bihar.