Prime Minister Andrew Holness says he has experienced profound spiritual peace in Sarnath after touring the archaeological excavation, having arrived at the archaeological excavation site and viewed the remains of the Mulgandha Kuti temple and Dharmarajika Stupa yesterday.

The Mulagandha Kuti temple is one of the major Buddhist sites in Sarnath. Built in 1931, it commemorates the original Mulagandha Kuti Vihar, while the Dharmarajika Stupa, also referred to as the Great Stupa of Taxila, is a Buddhist stupa near Taxila, Pakistan.

It was built over the relics of the Buddha by Ashoka in the 3rd century BCE. The stupa, along with the large monastic complex that later developed around it, forms part of the Ruins of Taxila, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980.

Holness, who has been on a four-day working tour of India, visited the Dhamekh Stupa and learned about the artwork depicted on it, as well as Ashoka’s pillar, on which he read the inscribed message.

Guide, Ravi Dwivedi informed the Jamaican Prime Minister that Buddha-era creepers, flowers, and leaves have been engraved on the Dhamekh Stupa. After that, Holness then visited the archaeological museum..

The Prime Minister reportedly inquired about the polish on the national emblem, noting that such polish cannot be done at present. Dwivedi explained that the art of achieving such polish has disappeared over time.

In conversation with the guide, Holness remarked on experiencing unprecedented spiritual peace during his visit to Sarnath.

The guide mentioned that Buddhism spread to foreign countries, where people embraced it. During this time, Prime Minister Holness observed the statues in the Buddha and Hindu galleries at the Sarnath Museum and learned about their history.

Earlier, State Finance Minister Suresh Khanna and Governor, Anandi Ben Patel welcomed Prime Minister Holness at Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport, Varanasi, and accompanied him during his visit.

Prime Minister Holness’s historic visit to India, the first for a Jamaican Prime Minister visit, ends today.