Press Information Bureau Government of India Ministry of Culture 09-December-2017 10:21 IST Dr. Mahesh Sharma Inaugurates the ‘Bodhi Parva: BIMSTEC Festival of Buddhist Heritage’ Buddha an unifying force among BIMSTEC Countries: Culture Minister Minister of State for Culture (Independent Charge) Dr. Mahesh Sharma has underlined the relevance of the message of peace and compassion of Lord Buddha in present time and said that it remains a unifying force among nations. Dr. Sharma, while inaugurating the three days ‘Bodhi Parva: BIMSTEC Festival of Buddhist Heritage’ in New Delhi on December 08, 2017 said that the message of Lord Buddha is as relevant in the twenty first century as it was two and a half millennia ago and has been a unifying force among nations. The values of peace, accommodation, inclusiveness, and compassion that are part of our societies can be attributed to the influence of the teachings of Lord Buddha and Buddhism. The Minister said that ‘Bodhi Parva’ has entwin...