The potential damage to the environment and to the health of devotees from staggering levels of dangerous particles in the air is leading some temples and festivals to seek alternative – if less spectacular – practices, despite resistance from worshippers.

Temples in Taiwan are cleaning up their act and going against tradition for the sake of preserving the environment. Aiming to cut pollution and waste, and to reduce the health dangers to temple-goers posed by some traditional practices of devotion, progressive temples are turning to modern methods of religious expression that don’t carry such a heavy environmental toll.

Buddhism and Daoism are the two most dominant religions in Taiwan, representing 35 per cent and 33 per cent of the population, respectively, according to government data for 2006. And with millions of devotees attending regular ceremonies and festivals at temples and pilgrimage sites across the island, accompanied by smoldering sticks of incense, firecrackers, and the burning of paper symbols of devotion, environmental groups see a cause for concern.

“People come to temples to pray for good health, but the way they are worshipping is not healthy,” cautioned Yeh Guang-perng, founder of Clean Air for Taiwan. “They might not get sick right away, but long-term exposure would be harmful to their health.” (South China Morning Post)

Hazards associated with traditional practices include carcinogenic chemicals such as benzene and methylbenzene, which are released from burning incense and paper money. Monitoring a nine-day pilgrimage to honor the sea deity Mazu, Taiwan’s Environment Protection Administration (EPA) found that firecrackers produced levels of PM2.5 fine particle pollution that exceeded the safe level recommended by the World Health Organization by more than 60 times.

As awareness of the risks grows, changes in practices are becoming more widespread. The famous Nan Yao Temple in the city of Changhua is one of the largest and oldest Daoist temples on the island, yet despite its venerable history it has recognized the benefits of taking a more contemporary approach to respecting the environment by replacing the tradition of letting off thousands of firecrackers during festivals with recordings of the thunderous barrage, and by encouraging practitioners to clap their hands instead. Similarly, the popular Hsing Tian Kong Temple in the capital Taipei has banned the burning of incense, requesting instead that devotees simply bring their hands together to pray.

Yet despite warnings from environmental groups, some temple-goers remain attached to the comfort and familiarity of traditional customs. “The traditional belief is that the more firecrackers and incense used, the more sincere the faithful will appear and the more good fortune will be bestowed on them,” said Nan Yao Temple director Chiu Jainn-fuh. (South China Morning Post)

So far Taipei’s Hsing Tian Kong and the Buddhist Dharma Drum Mountain in New Taipei City are the only temples in Taiwan that are known to have banned the burning of incense and paper money outright, yet Chen Shyan-heng, head of the EPA’s air quality protection and noise control department, remains resolute that change is in the air. “We hope that with the scientific proof from [our] on-site data, we can persuade the public to change.” (South China Morning Post)“We need to cut down on the religious offerings that pollute the environment and hurt our health in a world with growing pollution,

The  ancient Buddhist heritage sites in order to tap the burgeoning Buddhist tourism market, a curious rivalry has emerged between the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, where progress has been hindered by disputes over the fates of tens of thousands of ancient Buddhist artifacts.

Telangana’s Department of Archaeology & Museums wants Andhra Pradesh to hand over rare artifacts in its possession that were unearthed at ancient Buddhist centers such as Nalgonda and Karimnagar, which are within Telangana. Similarly, the counterpart department in Andhra Pradesh has called for historical objects found within the state but stored at the State Museum in Hyderabad to be surrendered.

The state of Telangana was formed in 2014, when an act of parliament separated Telangana from Andhra Pradesh. Under the act, the city of Hyderabad, located within Telangana, will remain the joint capital of both states until 2024, after which the newly founded city of Amaravathi will become the capital of Andhra Pradesh. The new capital is named after the historic center of Buddhist culture of the same name that flourished from 400 BCE–1100 CE. In the two years since the division of Andhra Pradesh, disputed claims have emerged over Buddhist relics and artifacts—including coins, manuscripts, and sculptures dating back thousands of years.

Officials of Telangana’s Department of Archaeology & Museums are due to meet in Hyderabad next week to discuss the issue. “This meeting is very crucial. We want to resolve the issue at the earliest and take control of things which belong to us,” said a senior official from Andhra Pradesh’s Department of Archaeology & Museums. (The New Indian Express)

The governments of both states are banking on thousands of years of Buddhist history to draw investment from East Asia as well as tourists from all over the world by preserving and promoting the history-rich Buddhist heritage sites. Significant Buddhist remains have been discovered in the area that have been dated to the Mauryan empire (322–185 BCE), which encompassed a vast swathe of the South Asian subcontinent, and the Satavahana dynasty (c. 271–30 BCE–220 CE), which mainly comprised the present-day states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Maharashtra.

The government of Andhra Pradesh is planning to develop two Buddhist Heritage Tourism Circuits covering 21 prominent Buddhist sites in eight districts, while Telangana has announced plans to develop Nagarjunasagar, where archaeological excavations have revealed a number of Buddhist monasteries and inscriptions.

Buddhism first appeared in what is now Andhra Pradesh early in the religion’s history. Archaeologists have identified historical evidence indicating the presence of the Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana schools of Buddhism in the region—approximately 150 Buddhist monuments and other sites have been identified in the state, including stupas, monasteries, and cave complexes. Although Buddhism declined in Andhra Pradesh during the latter part of the first millennium, there is evidence to suggest that some of these historical sites were active until the 14th century.If both the states will settle their area of buddhist artifacts can increase the volume of tourists also in the coming years.