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.

By Shyamal Sinha,New Delhi

 Monks in India not only do the preacher job but can be utilised as political campaigner also for upcoming election in UP..Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is sending squads of monks across Uttar Pradesh to woo Dalit voters ahead of the northern Indian state’s legislative assembly election scheduled for March–April 2017.

Under the campaign, dubbed “Dhamma Chakra Yatra,” 70–80 Buddhist monks will travel across India’s most populous state for the next six months in Narendra Modi-branded cars and buses, visiting Buddhist centers to inform the electorate about Modi’s stance on Buddhism and the Buddhist scholar and social reformer Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar. The campaign, which is being supervised by the prime minister’s office, is particularly aimed at the state’s Buddhist Dalit population, and is widely seen as an attempt to woo voters away from the traditionally dominant Bahujan Samaj Party.

State legislative assembly elections are held every five years in all 29 states and two of the seven Union Territories of India. Assembly elections are never carried out in the same year for all states and union territories. Modi has regularly referenced the work of Dr. Ambedkar in his recent public addresses, emphasizing the central government’s intention to fulfill the Dalit leader’s vision of social reform.

“The PM suggested a debate on Ambedkar in Parliament, a coin was released commemorating Ambedkar. . . . It must be brought to public knowledge how Modiji has ensured due respect for Dr. Ambedkar,” said Home Minister Rajnath Singh. (The Times of India)

The word “Dalit,” meaning “oppressed or broken,” is the self-applied name for communities previously known as “untouchables” under India’s caste system. The Dalit Buddhist movement is a 19th and 20th century Buddhist revival that received its most substantial impetus from Dr. Ambedkar’s 1956 call for Dalits to convert to Buddhism as a means to escape the traditional caste-based society that marked the Dalit as people of the lowest social standing.

Dr. Ambedkar (1891­–1956), popularly known as Babasaheb, was an Indian jurist, economist, politician, and a prolific scholar and social reformer. He inspired the modern Buddhist movement in India and campaigned against social discrimination against women and the Dalits. He was the principal architect of India’s first constitution and in 1955, founded the Buddhist Society of India. Shortly before his death, Ambedkar completed his final book, The Buddha and His Dhamma, an English-language treatise on Buddhism and the Buddha’s life, which was published posthumously.Ambedkar Buddha are in good volume in UP can turn the political analysis .