Many Buddhists in Nepal have found Kanak Mani Dixit's Lumbini's rebirth (#95) to be very biased and the writer ill-informed on the real issues about the controversial construction of the Mayadevi Temple.

It is inappropriate to say that ".Buddhist groups [are] fighting for control of the Lumbini Development Trust (LDT)". The Buddhists of Nepal have been very tolerant and Buddhist organisations have never tried to control the LDT. On the contrary, they kept quiet even when certain archaeologists treated the sacred Mayadevi Temple as a guinea pig. The famous temple was pulled down, brick by brick, from top to bottom, by the LDT on the pretext of learning about the state of erosion caused by tree roots and to obtain basic knowledge about the changes in the temple's configuration through the ages.

Today the identity of the LDT as an autonomous, non-government and non-profit body, as visualised by His Late Majesty King Mahendra, has been lost. All decisions are taken and directed by the ministry in Kathmandu. In-depth knowledge of Buddhism and dedication to Buddhism are no more the prime requisites for serving on the council. Strong political affiliations and political contacts have become the main criteria. In 1992 there were 21 LDT council members, with dedicated Buddhist scholars in the decision-making body. Today there are 53 council members with not a single dedicated Buddhist scholar in the decision making body. All the Buddhists nominated so far to the council are there due to their political affiliations, not because they in any way represent the millions of Buddhists of Nepal.

Third, the architectural features of the design pose a disaster to a country that boasts about the great architect Arniko. A massive large box now dwarfs the Asokan pillar, one of the oldest dated monuments in the subcontinent. The structure has been designed as if the pillar does not exist, and is devoid of any Buddhist architectural form or details.

Fourth, the LDT went against its own decision in not abiding by the Master Plan [made by Japanese architect Kenzo Tenge] which clearly restricted any kind of structure other than the archaeological site in the Sacred Garden. The Japanese technical expert involved in the excavation was not consulted; the LDT did not even wait for the final excavation report. Like many other critical issues in Nepal, Lumbini's development appears to have fallen victim to the country's ongoing political uncertainty and breakdown of governance.

Swoyambhu Tuladhar,
Kathmandu