Forty-five students from IIT-Goa will visit the Buddhist pilgrimage centre in Rewalsar town in Himachal, also known as Tso Pema in Tibetan, to interact with the monks and nuns to understand their culture and heritage of the place. The visit is being organised by IIT-Mandi in order to promote, connect, and inculcate the spirit of collective learning.
The programme is being held as 'YuvaSangam' under the 'Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat' initiative of the Union Education Ministry. The programme aims to give students a "multi-dimensional" exposure in five areas – Paryatan (tourism), Parampara (traditions), Pragati (Development), Paraspar Sampark (people-to-people connect), and Prodyogiki (technology), said IIT-Mandi Director Professor Laxmidhar Behera, in a release issued on Saturday.
During their visit to the state from May 17 to 23, the students will get the opportunity to get a glimpse of the rich history of Rewalsar, famous for being the place where Buddhist teacher Padmasambhava (Guru Rimpoche), who laid the foundation of tantric Buddhist traditions in Tibet, stayed on his way to Tibet.
The place is also known as 'Tri Sangam' for being the meeting place of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism. The famed Kuntisar Lake above the town is associated with the Pandavas of Mahabharat. The place was also visited by Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh guru.
The students during their stay will visit different labs and research facilities on IIT Mandi campus and interact with the Director of the Institute and the state governor. They will also be taken to Bhuttico factory in Bhuntar in Kullu district to get a first-hand understanding of the traditional weaving practices, the statement said.
The students are also slated to visit several temples, Atal tunnel - considered a modern-day engineering marvel – and Larji Dam constructed on the confluence of Sainj and Tirthan river tributaries. In exchange, 35 students from Himachal Pradesh and 10 from Ladakh will be travelling to Goa, according to the statement.
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