Staff Reporter
Peshawar
A nine member delegation from Thailand on Wednesday visited archaeological sites in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Peshawar Museum and evinced keen interest in the findings and discoveries of Buddhism and Buddhist heritage.
The delegation, comprising chief monks and monks, officials of Archaeology and Museums visited Takht Bhai Ruins and Peshawar Museum and performed worship.
They also received briefing on Peshawar Museum, Buddhism heritage sites in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Archaeology and Museums Director Dr Abdul Samad briefed the monks on the archaeological sites in Peshawar, Takht Bhai ruins, Buddhism, gallery of Buddhist statues, antiques and artifacts in the museum. He said that there were over 6,000 archaeological and heritage sites in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where research was being carried out to revive these sites properly.
“The followers of Buddhism would find a treasure trove of Buddhist statues and heritage after thorough research and revival of these sites,” the official told the delegation. He said that Unesco had declared the Takht Bhai ruins a world heritage site in year 1980, where thousands of ruins of Buddhism existed.
Dr Samad said the government had taken a number of steps for attracting foreign tourists, scholars and researchers to the province. The official said that a comprehensive policy had been evolved for preserving and protecting the archaeological sites and places in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He informed that initiatives were being taken to carryout excavation on archaeological sites through modern techniques and methods.
