Pokhara—A group of students from Birethanti Secondary School in Kaski of Nepal’s Gandaki Province has arrived home after wrapping up their artwork journey to Bodh Gaya where Gautam Buddha attained enlightenment beneath a sacred Bodhi Tree.
Six students- Bishal Chapain, Alisha Tamang, Monika Tamang, Nabin Pariyar, Pradip Acharya and Sobha Pariyar including their guardians had reached Bodh Gaya where students created 30 paintings for world peace. Students as artists had traveled to India as members of Himalayan Dream Team. Earlier, such art journey was also organized at Buddha birth place Lumbini.
According to Lumbini Buddhist University researcher Kim Ku Hyun, the paintings prepared by artists this time are scheduled to exhibit in Seoul, the capital city of South Korea. Kim is also a financial arranger of that art journey. A guardian Bishnu Maya Tamang who also traveled to Bodh Gaya in that journey expressed her happiness that she has gotten a chance to see her two daughters as artist due to the support from Kim. Her two daughters learned artwork from Kim in BSS and also traveled to Korea last year.
Her daughters- 8-grader Monika and 10-grader Alisha said that Kim had opened the door to their art journey. They also have decided to become a successful artist in future. Another guardian Sita Chapain said that she felt proud as her son Bishal painted a Mahabodhi Temple in front of her during their journey to Bodh Gaya which is a small village in the northeast Indian state Bihar. Bishnu and Sita both thanked Kim for what he has done for their daughters and son. The art group had spent three days around Maha Bodhi Temple which is included in the UNESCO world heritage sites. Kim has asked his student team to create paintings related to Buddha and his philosophy.
He has also published a book about Nepalese history, culture and festivals in Korean language. Earlier, he had supported 200 goats worth rupees 2 million to the guardians of BSS. Similarly, he had distributed sports and stationary items including dresses to the students there. Kim had also collected funds to construct a school gate and a smart class room. Last year, he had made an arrangement to exhibit 120 paintings prepared by 12 students, in Seoul.
Kim further said that the Himalayan Dream Team members got an opportunity to learn the cultural part of Hindu and Buddhist religion during the tour to Bodh Gaya where Kim had traveled three decade before for the first time. “I found so many changes in Bodh Gaya during my recent visit,” he said, Indian people seemed upbeat as they noticed me and my Nepalese pupils. He also thanked students and their guardians for making Bodh Gaya journey successful.
Pictures courtesy: Kim Ku Hyun
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