AFP, Apr 5, 2011

KATHMANDU, Nepal -- An international conservation team has begun work on restoring three endangered monuments at Buddha's supposed birthplace in southern Nepal, officials said on Tuesday.

The team, led by Italian conservation expert Costantino Meucci, will restore the marker stone, nativity sculpture and Ashoka pillar in Lumbini, 250 kilometres (150 miles) southwest of Nepal's capital Kathmandu.

Lumbini, declared a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1997, is visited by Buddhist pilgrims from around the world, and the month-long restoration campaign is funded by the Japanese government.

The marker stone is believed to be the exact site of Buddha's birth while the nativity sculpture is a carving that shows Buddha's mother holding a tree branch for support during his birth.

The Ashoka pillar was built by an Indian king in the third century BC.

"We will clean the nativity sculpture. Its outer layer is peeling. The Ashoka pillar is deteriorating due to human activities and biological effects," conservation expert Meucci told reporters.

"Offerings such as sugar and oil by devotees have probably caused changes in the colour of the marker stone," Meucci added.

Gautama Siddhartha, who later became known as Buddha or the Enlightened One, is believed to have been born around 500 BC.

Delhi seeks Thai tips on Buddhist trail

The Telegraph, India, April 4, 2011

New Delhi, India -- India has sought Thailand’s help to develop the country’s Buddhist trail that continues to lack good air and road connectivity as well as hotels.

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva will begin a daylong state visit to India tomorrow, as the two countries seek to deepen their defence co-operation and increase trade.

India will seek Thailand’s help in improving infrastructure at its Buddhist sites while promising greater assistance in the teaching of Sanskrit in Thailand.

Foreign ministry officials today said each year nearly 50,000 devotees from Thailand visit Bodh Gaya, where Gautam Buddha attained enlightenment.

As many as 7 lakh Indian tourists visit Thailand every year and there are 20 flights daily between the two countries.

“But there is enormous potential to increase religious tourism at sites associated with the Buddha but lack of infrastructure in these cities and towns has hampered tourist footfall,” said a foreign ministry official.

Roads to Bodh Gaya and other places of interest to Buddhist pilgrims such as Rajgir, Vaishali, Sarnath and Kushinagar are poor.

Foreign ministry officials said no flights operated from New Delhi or even Patna to Bodh Gaya.

The Buddhist holy city is better connected by air to Bangkok but a short airstrip means only small aircraft can land.

These places do not have good hotels either.

Thai companies are already involved in infrastructure development in India.

They have contributed to building the Delhi Metro and a Thai company is constructing a new terminal building of Calcutta’s Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose airport.

On its part, New Delhi plans to send more Sanskrit professors to Thai universities and set up chairs for Indian studies.

The two sides are also expected to discuss defence and security co-operation.

Thailand is strategically located near the Strait of Malacca, a vital shipping lane.

네팔, 카투만두- 국제유적보존팀이 네팔의 수도 카투만두 서쪽에 있는 부처님 탄생지의 위험에 처해진 유물 3기의 복원을 시작했다. 보존처리 전문가인 코스타티노 무치가 이끄는 보존팀은 표지석, 탄생조각상 그리고 아쇼카 기둥을 복원하게 되며, 일본정부는 복원 자금을 지원했다. 한편, 유네스코는 1997년 룸비니를 세계유산으로 지정했고, 많은 성지순례자들이 세계에서 모여들고 있다.

표지석이 있는 곳은 부처님의 정확한 탄생지이라 믿어지고. 탄생조각상은 부처님의 어머니가 출산 중 나뭇가지를 잡고 있는 것을 보여주는 조각물이다. 또한, 아쇼카 기둥은 기원전 3세기에 세워졌다. 무치는 "탄생조각상을 깨끗하게 할 것이다. 바깥의 층이 벗겨지고 있다. 아쇼카 기둥은 사람의 활동과 생리적 영향으로 부식 되어가고 있다. 설탕과 기름 등의 공양물이 표지석의 색깔을 변하게 한 것 같다"고 말했다.