Mahishini Colonne, High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to India, visited the SriKrishna Museum in Kurukshetra on Friday, coinciding with Buddha Purnima, and praised India’s preservation of historical sites associated with Gautam Buddha. She said these sites will act as beacons for future generations, fostering brotherhood and spreading the teachings of the Buddha.
Museum in-charge Balwan Singh said the High Commissioner paid obeisance at the sacred Bodhi (Peepal) tree on the museum grounds. The tree was planted on May 16, 1992, by the then Governor of Haryana and Chairman of the Kurukshetra Development Board. Buddhist monks performed a prayer ceremony beneath the 34-year-old tree in keeping with tradition.
Pankaj Setia, CEO of the Kurukshetra Development Board, welcomed Colonne and briefed her on the museum and its galleries. While viewing exhibitions titled “Buddhist Heritage of Kurukshetra” and “Other Prominent Buddhist Sites in Haryana,” she commended the region’s rich Buddhist traditions and archaeological importance. A coffee-table book on Kurukshetra was presented to the High Commissioner.
Museum officials said Colonne was informed about several historic Buddhist sites across the region, including the Assandh Stupa in Karnal, the Ancient Mound of Agroha, the Chaneti Stupa near Jagadhri in Yamunanagar, the Buddhist Vihara at Adi Badri, and Topra Kalan. Setia explained that excavations at Assandh have revealed archaeological remains spanning different periods, and researchers have identified a brick-built structure there as a Buddhist stupa. The Ancient Mound of Agroha represents an ancient urban settlement where excavations uncovered residential remains alongside a stupa, indicating historical Buddhist activity. The Chaneti Stupa is an ancient brick-built monument with a long history, and digs at the Adi Badri Vihara have uncovered monastic structures and terracotta artifacts that attest to a past Buddhist presence.
Setia also noted that Vedic literature links Kurukshetra with the Saraswati River and that, in ancient Indian tradition, the area has long been revered as a center for religious rites and cultural life.
