Art Gallery- Buddha Smirti Park

Overview

The park has been constructed at the place where once the historical Bankipur Central Jail of British era existed. After a new central jail was built at Beur on the outskirts of Patna, the old jail become redundant. The park is a brainchild of the Chief Minister of Bihar, Nitish Kumar. Tibetan spiritual leader, Dalai Lama, on 27 May 2010 inaugurated Buddha Smriti Park and planted two saplings one was brought from Bodh Gaya and the other from Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka of the sacred Bodhi tree. A branch of the original Mahabodhi tree at Bodh Gaya is believed to have been taken to Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka by Emperor Ashoka's son Mahendra. The Sri Lankan delegation had brought a sapling from this tree to planted at the Buddha Smriti Park. The central attraction of this park is the stupa, known as Patliputra Karuna Stupa, 200 feet high, situated in the middle of the park. This 22 acre park located in the heart of city house the pot containing holy ashes of Buddha inside the main stupa. Previously the pot containing ashes of Buddha was for display in Patna Museum, pot was earlier excavated from Vaishali. The park has a museum, where Buddhist relics from Japan, Myanmar, South Korea, Sri Lanka and Thailand have been installed. The park is also having meditation hall for prayers. The entry charge is ₹20 per individual be it child or an elder person. It now has a tall statue of Buddha.