A teenage boy who has been meditating under a tree in the verdant forests of southern Nepal is attracting thousands of pilgrims who are convinced the youth is another Buddha.
Devotees flock daily to catch sight of Ram Bahadur Banjan, who sits cross-legged and silent with his eyes shut beneath a tree in the jungle of Bara, 160km south of the capital, Kathmandu.
It is claimed that the 15-year-old has not eaten or drunk anything since he sat down at his chosen spot on May 17. He also has not relieved himself in six months, claim devotees. Some say they have seen light emanating from the teenager’s forehead.
Ram Bahadur’s fame grew after he appeared to shake off the effects of being bitten by a poisonous snake. He is said to have told onlookers that ”a snake bit me but I do not need treatment. I need six years of deep meditation.”
The boy also told crowds that he was not a Buddha but a lesser divine spirit known as a rinpoche.
”I don’t have the Buddha’s energy.”
Buddhism teaches that correct thinking and self-control can enable people to reach peace and release themselves from worldly distractions and desires.
The Buddha was born 256km from Bara in 540 BC and found enlightenment under a pipal tree. Ram Bahadur is sitting under a pipal tree.
A reporter for the Kantipur newspaper, Sujit Mahat, told The Associated Press that he had spent two days at the site, and that about 10 000 people are believed to visit every day.
He said pilgrims can catch a glimpse of Ram Bahadur from a roped-off area about 25m away between dawn and dusk. But the boy is screened from observers at night.
”We could not say what happens after dark,” Mahat said. ”People only saw what went on in the day, and many believed he was some kind of god.”
A thriving market has developed in the once-pristine forest, supplying pilgrims with everything from tobacco and bicycle repairs to incense and sacred amulets.
Police are seeking to verify the claims about the boy’s fast.
”We have a team … investigating the claim on how anyone can survive for so long without food and water,” police Inspector Chitra Bahadur Gurung said. Officers have not directly questioned the boy, who appears to be meditating deeply.
Buddhism has about 325-million followers, mostly in Asia. — Guardian Unlimited Â