Reforestation Project

On a general level, deforestation and the Greenhouse effect gradually had lead to a drier and hotter Bodhgaya and Bihar climate.

Following this report, Green Bodhgaya proposes to reverse the actual situation in Bodhgaya in order to recreate the original state as it was at Buddha’s time.

Experts of the Indian forest department say that a forest cover of 33% is required for the state of Bihar to sustain life naturally. Forests have a great influence on the availability of rain, of underground water, on soil fertility, prevention of soil erosion, clean air, and they contribute to the beauty of the landscape. At present time, the forest cover in Bihar is less than 6% of the state land.

Concerned by the current climate crisis Green Bodhgaya is an international project of reforestation, preservation of biodiversity and sustainable development, which aim is to change the local climate by planting 5 million trees on the site of Bodhgaya, in India and its surroundings, which currently suffers of lack of water, land degradation, climate warming (up to 49 degrees in summer), very low humidity and loss of biodiversity.

In accordance with governmental experts, if we provide 5 million trees in Bodhgaya it will successfully reverse the negative effects of global warming on local level and will change the climate in Bodhgaya and his surroundings.

The reforestation of the site will allow us to create a micro climate and recreating an oasis of greenery closed to what it was in Buddha’s time. Reforestation will temperate the climate and improve the hygrometry for the wellbeing of everyone, inhabitants and pilgrims : providing better life conditions, more trees, more humidity, more rain, less irrigation problems for cultures, less heat and more crops.

The oasis, so created, would be a virtuous action, exemplary and of great benefits at a local and global level. Furthermore, restoring Bodhgaya as the Pure Land would be a greatest homage dedicated to the Buddha’s enlightenment place.

We thus, encourage all practitioners and all the sympathizers of the environmental cause to cooperate in the project

The decline of Bodhgaya mirrors the decline of the whole world. To revivify this sacred place, the heart of the Earth, we would like to give to the whole world inspiration for life and opening of the heart. Bodhgaya. is the place of enlightenment, where all the Buddhas from the past and for all time get enlightened. It is the main pilgrimage place for Buddhists, an archetypal power place.

Plant a wish tree

News
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More than 1,000 trees were planted during the winter 2010 campaign in Bodhgaya ------------------------------
Around 60 fruit trees offered in various monasteries and meditation centers (Korean Temple, Buthan, Japanese, Mahabodhi Meditation Center) ------------------------------
100 Fruit trees offered different families in a village near Bodhgaya ------------------------------
50 Fruit trees offered at Dr. Maheindra's clinic (which opened a homeopathic college) ------------------------------
Planting of 108 trees on the Kalachakra ground with their protection ------------------------------
Plantation of trees on the-lands of the Mahanta of Bodhgaya(descendant of the spiritual and political authority at the time of the Maharajas) ------------------------------
Planting of fruit trees in 3 schools in villages around Bodhgaya in collaboration with Integral Rural Developpment Trust (Indian association sponsored by the Spanish) which has established schools locally and mobile clinics. The children received a little training on how to plant and protect trees then did practical work on the campus of their school and then received a tree to plant at home ------------------------------
His Holiness the Dalai Lama has blessed some of these trees and His Holiness the Karmapa has applauded the idea that next year, during the Meulam, each monk plants a tree with a wish ------------------------------