Changes and Modulation
INTRODUCTION
Changing the social, economic, religious and cultural elements in human beings is natural process and eternal phenomenon. Core and skirt of any sacred complex always play a vital role to change and modernize the socio- economic factors. Since the stone age of human civilization, concept of religion has continued promoting the social norms and values in synchronous times. The teachings of Buddha and Buddhism have been contributing to the development of socio-economic status, promotion of daily life styles, promotion of public awareness and humanity. The sacred places, associated with Lord Buddha, viz. Kapilvastu, Lumbini, Bodhagaya and Kushinagar have inspired to create peace, harmony and non- violence in twentieth century all over the world. Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha have been contributing in up holding the social values, economic condition and cultural phenomenon through the interaction with domestic and foreign tourists; agencies or organizations who are involved to build monasteries, meditation- centres and other development works, monks and nuns coming from various countries. UNO, foreign and national agencies have taken keen interest to promote and develop the life styles of the local people and sacred complex. INGOs and NGOs have conducted many plan and programmes in the periphery of Lumbini, motivating by Buddhism and peace. Lumbini is the main attraction of the devotees and donor parties to influence their plan and programes in this area.
Ancient Lumbinigrama had buried in the earth before the exploration of Führer in the last decade of the nineteenth century. Yadav, Lodha, Muslim, Kewat, Harijan, Brahaman, Kurmi, Mallha, Paswan , Teli, Tharu, Dhobi, Kumal etc. castes reside around the sacred complex of Lumbini (CBS, 2002:82-94). Some of them had immigrated from India and migrated from the hills of Nepal. Tharu is known as an aboriginal caste of this Terai region. Fuhrer has purposed that Tharu were ancestor of the Śākyas of Kapilvastu, belonged to Buddha. This study is depend on the life style and changes of the local people around the master plan of Lumbini project especially Ama , Bhagawanpur, Ekala, Khudabagar, Lumbini adarsa and Madhuwani VDCs. priest , monks, nuns and other people who reside in project area are also observed to know their changes and modernization including physical development of the complex. Several kinds of changes have slowly crept into the traditional beliefs customs, food and drinks, dress and ornaments, position of family members, literacy rate, vocational training, organization of functional groups, increasing of income sources and cultural activities due to the verbal communication and project works of the guests, who come to visit Lumbini. Elements of modernization is clearly reflected in the management and maintenance of the life-style of the people, monks, nuns, hotels, shop-keepers and worker who reside in Lumbini area.
Before the formation of Lumbini Development Committee, local people were not conscious to change and modernize their life-styles lack of verbal communication of pilgrims and donated-property in the project area. After launching various programs and project-works at Lumbini, they got chance to employ as well as project-activities in their villages. The effect of modernization has been felt not only in the nuclear part of Lumbini but also in the life-style of the people of the villages located on the outskirts of Lumbini complex. Master plan, attractions of UNO donor agencies, schooling , networks of roads, metallic road from Siddharthanagar, plane-service, fast means of communications, i.e. telephone , television, e-mail, internet and various activities, conducted by NGOs are the main contributing factors to this change and modernization. These modern facilities have played a vital role in the acceleration of complete life-style and socio-cultural activities of Lumbini.
Due to the keen interest of donor agencies, NGO, INGO and governmental authorities have been launching various development activities through the channel of Rupandehi DDC and separately in their interest. District Health strengthening program (DFID), Nepal Safe Motherhood program (DFID), TRPAP, UNDP, SNV, Livelihood community forest program (DFID), Rural urban partnership program, PPPP, RK , IBS, PVDP, Crossflow, FINIDA, BP with poor and LDF programs have been launching in this area. Their main target is to change and modernize the life style of the people who reside in the core and outskirts of Lumbini. The elements of changes and modernization are reflecting on social, economic and cultural aspects of the people.
Social Aspect
Social activities have been
running under the aegis of Rupandehi DDC, which are initiated by the
donor agencies.
114 groups formed consisting 24 female, 63 male and 27 mixed groups. Women of Muslim family are also associated in female and mixed groups. 21% is single female group, which plays a significant role to abolish parda pratha in this community. 31% of total members of the groups are female and 27 are in leadership.
Meetings of STDC, CMC, CO, FG and Eco-clubs were conducted in 285 times to create awareness and to evaluate their functions. 4290 members were participated on these occasions.
Workshops, seminars and
conferences were conducted in 2004. 29.58% female were involved in
progress-review, workshop, annual planning of VDCand district level
planning meetings. Sustainable Tourism Development Committee
meetings were conducted in seven times at seven VDCs. FINIDA had
launched water-supply and arsenic test programs. 9798 people were
benefited from this project work. Ekala was their focus point in
tube-well scheme.
Their life-style, food and drink, dress and ornament, social
behaviors as well as traditions, viz. bala vivaha, anamela vivaha,
dowary system and parda pratha have also under gone changes and
modernization due to these social activities. Here only a few people
are seen dressed their traditional objects. The youths of Lumbini
area visit monastery zone for employment. They generally interact
the pilgrims and the people who come to enjoy the fair and
festivals, especially Buddha Jayant, by organizing dramas , dances
and music programs and other kinds of activities. In this process
TRPAP has formed a group of Biraha Geeta, traditional song of
indigenous people, and sing on special request of the visitors in
charge. Management capacity enhancement training, group management,
book keeping, strategic plans etc. are few examples of the training.
Involvement of more women in the decision making level is the main
focus of TRPAP. At present household women have been able to come
out of their houses and participate in the different training
program such as women empowerment
Economic Aspect
Centre of Rural Development and Self-help, collective
Development and Multi-purpose co-operative, Pragatishil women
Development co-operative, Indreni Rural Development centre, TRPAP,
FINIDA etc. have launched various programs to promote the economic
status of the people. These programs have been supported to the
objectives of poverty alleviation underlined in the Ninth and Tenth
Five year plans of HMG. The self-reliant concept is needed in order
to match with there source base of the poor communities, VDCs and
DDCs, especially in the remote area. In order to focus further on
the weaker section communities, the programs have made a special
provision of support fund for poor. TRPAP , FINIDA, RK, IBS, Cross
Flow, Bisweswar with poor etc. programs have played a significant
role for sustainable development and income generation. Almost the
plans and programs have concentrate to the sacred complex of
Lumbini, associated with Buddha and Buddhism. FINIDA and BP with
poor programs had conducted rainwater using and household latrine
schemes to be deprived and disadvantaged community together with the
collaboration of DDC. Such collaboration among the same agencies has
added a new dimension in addressing the needs of the poorer
communities in rural area.
The economic condition of the people is very poor and opportunities of employment are limited. Among them 17% people are using only agriculture land. More than 50% among them depends on land and livestock. Livestock and poultry farming people are only 1.63% and 0.22% separately. They can not save money from agricultural activities. Their incomes decide the life-style and status in the society. 5.91% and 2.14% household people are engaged in business and services respectively. Industrial and transportation area is very weak.
The authority has also launched the programs to promote the life-style and economic status of the local people. Program under the aegis of DDC total 25 experts have been trained within a short span of time in 2003- 2004. Female are also trained in audit. They can do up- to- date their group- account as well as family budget.
Seven persons of Tenuhawa were trained in bee-keeping sector. Bee-keeping is a suitable and cash-oriented industry in this area. 25 members were also skilled in modern concept for live-farming sector.
TRPAP has been given different types of skill development training to the people of Lumbini area to enhance their skills and help them generate income for their living. The various training includes hotel management, fish farming, rickshow pulling, banana farming, vegetable farming, making statues of clay, making dhakkis and basic hospitality. These training programmes have been awared about the importance of their skills and increasing sense towards the values of cultural heritage. MCET, mushroom cultivation, account-keeping, small hotel and lodge management, local guide, artistic handicraft, ICS making and tourism sector were launched. 37.25% female have involved in these training, which is function-oriented training. Apart from the preceding sectors grocery, bangle selling, goat rising, grill industry, food -grain selling, barber, mobile cart and canteen were also supported to enhance their sources of income in proper situation.
After providing training, TRPAP has offered proper venture capital fond for the people of seven VDCs. Social Mobilizers of TRPAP have done research about their potentiality and finding their ability help them providing soft loan for proper jobs and business. Sustainable Tourism Development Committees (STDc) have been financed to develop infrastructure of their employment. Not only the TRPAP but also other agencies have also launched various programmes to promote their economic status under the umbrella of Rupandehi DDC. Community Organizations have been saving proper amount for their needs and promotion. 726 members in agriculture, 409 members in livestock and 693 members in trade are involved in informal saving plans. 515 members are also participated in this saving activity. Local people use this saving fund in order to solve their daily problems. One of the success stories of these sectors is group install Dhiki pump. The members of Suryamukhi vegetable producers and Functional Group of Ekala-4 are proud to be in group following the imitation of TRPAP activities in their village. The group was contributed Rs.20,000 for the installation of a Dhiki pump (Water pump) for the members of the FG in the village. All these activities have been carried out focusing the birthplace of Lord Buddha and Buddhism by various agencies and organizations. Thus it is undoubtedly the consequence of sacred complex of Lumbini.
Cultural Aspect
Almost the Hindu and Muslim people reside in the outskirts of
Lumbini complex. Buddhists are also coming from various sites to
reside in the monasteries and in their own houses. The atmosphere of
Lumbini area is favorable to create unity in diversity due to the
tolerance of various sects, groups and communities. On the occasions
of fair and festivals, local clubs and groups generally entertain
the pilgrims by organizing traditional dance, music and drama. Dance
and music are organized in Buddhist tradition based on Jataka
stories. The mother tongue of the natives is Bhojapuri. Now-a-days
they use Nepali, Hindi, English and Bhojapuri language due to the
verbal communication among domestic and international visitors. The
youths who work in the hotels, restaurant and monasteries speak
Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Tibetain and Tamil languages in proper
situation. Realizing the necessity and importance of the cultural
elements, an organization named" Lumbini cultural Buddha Biraha Geet
Sadak Natak" is established for the conservation, promotion and to
show in proper situation.
Master Plan Area
Due to the modernization of the area, many settlements have been
populated in the vicinities of this sacred complex. Mayalawar,
Padariya, Parsa etc. residences have been changing their physical
structures day by day. Modern buildings in the market area and
important villages of the area have greatly altered the physical
look of Lumbini. In the three zonal areas of master plan, viz.
archaeological garden, monastic zone and new Lumbini village, many
buildings have been built on the basis of agreement with LDT.
Re-storied Mayadevi temple has added super structure component like
a Stūpa in stead of old temple. On the north-east corner of the
temple a wooden decorated ladder is made to go up-stair. Foundation
and structure of the original temple is preserved to show visitors
and devotees. Puskarini pond has been cleaned and the artificial -
mound on the south of Mayadevi temple, which was formed in course of
excavation by Kaisher Shamsher Rana from 1933 to 1939, is also
removed by cutting soil. Circular pond is going to be completed as
mentioned in the master plan. Ring-road is made of gravel on the
bank of circular-pond.
On the east of monastic zone, Myanmar government has completed Lokamuni pagoda temple, vihar and guest houses. International Nuns Association and Maha Bodhi Society of India have completed their physical construction. Sri Lanka and Thailand monasteries and vihars are under construction. These are going to be completed in near future. Central canal is also cleaned on the occasion of the Second World Buddhist Summit in 2004.
This eastern portion is known as Hinayān or Theravadi complex. Many Stupas, monasteries, guest-houses, temples and meditation centres have been constructing by various national and international agencies. Among these Mananga sewa samaja, Chinese temple, Tara foundation of Germany and Korean guest houses have completed and operated. Vietnam temple, France, Japanese -Sokayo, Bhutan and Korean temples are under construction. Lumbini International Research Institute, Museum, Nipponzon Myohoji (world peace Stūpa) and Hokke hotel have been operating their proper duties. Hotel Mikasha is also completed. Sri Lankan pilgrimage house is completed, but not in operation at present due to the case between LDT and contractor. In the western portion of the boundary wall is also partially constructed. Local people have got opportunity for employment in physical constructions of all the unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled manpower in their proper sectors. Physical development of Lumbini is not only supported internal facing, but also the life-style and models of the people by providing the sources of income have also played a vital role in modernization of this area. Sacred functionaries have also done various activities in order to change and modernize the life style of the people.
The monks and nuns of the Hinayān and Mahāyan monasteries are coming from the related countries. Their life-style, food and drinks, habits and social behaviors have also under gone changes .Old priest of Mayadevi temple is also changing his life-style in Buddhist rules and regulations, who was Hindu at the beginning. Mixed-Buddhist culture and traditions have been practiced in this complex. Physical progress has brought a tremendous change and modernization. In the process of modernization, several kinds of changes have crept into social, economic, cultural life of the people of Lumbini. The changes are not only in the life-style but also in its physical development, food, drinks, dress, ornaments and aesthetic traditions. Almost the elements of changes and modernizations have depended in the process of development of Lumbini.
