Our Bureau/

Bhagalpur administration which woke up from its slumber to celebrate annual Vikramshila Mahotsav, a government sponsored formality in the name this world heritage site which otherwise remains in neglect in rest of the time in the year, organized heritage walks today for making awareness among mass.

Interestingly enough most of speakers in the interaction session at the half-excavated ruins of the ancient seat of learning soon after the heritage walks, underlined gross governmental apathy towards this edifices once which was towered in the world for its high-level academic activities as well as for refining and refurnishing Buddhism under the able leaderships of eminent scholars and high priests like Dipanker Srighyan Atisa.

Rashmi Chatterjee speaks on the occasion at Vikramshila.

Rashmi Chatterjee, a Delhi based archaeologist and heritage management expert expressed her serious concerned over the sorry saga of  half-excavated ruins of Vikramshila Buddha Mahavihara, the world University once gifted by Pala dynasty. She urged to take appropriate measure to promote vikramshila in a big spectrum in the world as a classical heritage in the world.

A first time visitor in Bihar , Chatterjee was addressing a sizable number of participants who gathered at the half-excavated site of Vikramshila Mahavihara this morning for a heritage walk this morning. Vikramshila Mahotsav, a government sponsored annual event is scheduled from March 17 next and the heritage walk to mark this occasion is first time history in the region. Heritage walk  this morning was organized jointly by Chetna Serving Humanity, a voluntary body and Bhagalpur district administration.

Addressing the interactive session, Chatterjee has strengthened the need of such heritage walks not only for highlighting the significances of such heritages but help to stimulate the senses of belongings among local residents as well as to spread the senses for conservation of such old edifices. “Vikarmshila not only has its high value at India but is a well-known for the entire world,” she pointed out. She also urged to  increase several innovative  to promote it’s significance

Manoj Kumar, IPS in the heritage walks at Vikramshila.

before the world.

Chatterjee was quite upset after witnessing  the apathy and negligence by parts of the government at Vikramshila. She strongly demanded for tourist facilities like drinking water and connectivity of this place through other places in proper ways immediately.

Chetna Tripathi Singh, convener of Chetna Humanity Serving has while pointing out the silent features said : “It’s a day of appreciation of our opulent culture and heritage” while adding that the main aim was to spread awareness among people about Vikramshila. “ Everything that our ancestor’s bequeath is our heritage. The knowledge and awareness regarding our past, origin and culture always strengthens our roots. Heritage walk is a tool to explain the unexplored richness of our place, it plays an important role to create awareness and encourages local community involvement,” she said.

Chetna Triparthi Singh addressing at the interaction session at Vikramshila.

Manoj Kumar, senior superintendent of police, Bhagalpur and the husband of Chetna, in his address said that Vikramshila is pride of our nation and deserve an in-depth exploration of its rich culture and historical past keeping these objectives in mind. Other distinguished persons like , Rajiv Kant Mishra, educationalist, K K Mandal, a professor in the PG department of history in TMB University besides others also addressed the interaction session today. Meanwhile all the speakers alleged governmental apathy towards this unique world heritage and have strengthened the need of such heritage walks for making more people aware of it.

Shivshnaker Singh Parijat, former deputy director of PRD, Bihar and a researcher on Dipanker Srighyan Atisa, a reputed figure in modern Buddhism from Vikramshila, raised question on the attitude of the government. While N K Jaiswala, convener of Vikramshila Nagrik Samity, a Kahalgaon based body to fight for the cause of Vikramshila, criticized the government for spoiling the prospects of Vikramshila.

Earlier in the early morning, deputy development commissioner,

Heritage walk earlier was flagged off by DDC, Bhagalpur, Anand Sharma.

Anand Sharma flagged off the participants of the heritage walks near Cleveland memorial at Bhagalpur.