Author:
Publication: The Times of India
Date:  November 19, 2019
URL:      https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/ganga-jal-connects-kashi-of-india-to-chinas-kashi/articleshow/72083529.cms

Ganga Jal from Kashmir's Kumarajiva Yatra will connect Kashi with Kashgar and retrace the ancient threads of wisdom that connected India and China.

Tarun Vijay, the conceptusliser and leader of the Kumarajiva Yatra, is recreating the 4th Century Buddhist monk's journey to China. He said that because of the Indian monk's scholarly discussions and studies of scriptures, Xinjiang's Kashgar was known as Kashi of the Central Asia, and many would be surprised that it is still known as Kashi.

Till this date, Kashgar's airport, railway station, city bus station are simply named as 'Kashi', Vijay said while proceeding to Xian, where Kumarajiva's 'samadhi' is situated.

Vijay is one of those rare authors who were allowed to visit China's Kashi (known to outside world as Kashgar) eight years ago, with help from Mrs Nirupama Rao who was then Indian ambassador in Beijing.

The idea behind bringing Ganga Jal from Kashi and presenting to Kumarajiva temple was to pay homage to the great saint Kumarajiva by rekindling Kashi's sacred memories, thus instantly connecting Kashi in India to 'Kashi' in China.

It is noteworthy that famous youth leader and India's youngest MP from Bangalore Mr Tejasvi Surya is part of this historic Kumarajiva journey that has attracted many scholars in China and India. This is the first time Ganga Jal with soil from Sarnath in a copper Kalash covered with sacred red cloth is being kept in the Kumarajiva Budhist temple, visited by millions of devotees.