Nearly 70 Buddhist monastics from Thailand and India arrived in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad on 18 February as part of the third Dhamma Padayatra-2026—a 400-kilometer pilgrimage intended to renew awareness of the Buddha’s teachings in India.
When the monastics reached Kukatpally Y Junction, they were formally received by the deputy chief minister of the state of Telangana, Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu, and Minister for Labor, Employment, Training and Factories, Mines and Geology Gaddam Vivek Venkatswamy. Senior civil servants, public representatives, and local devotees gathered to welcome the procession, temporarily transforming one of the Hyderabad’s busiest intersections into a site of public reflection.
The padayatra began on 2 February at Siddhartha Buddha Vihara in the city of Kalaburgi, Karnataka. From there, the group has been walking northeast toward the Buddhavanam theme park at Nagarjuna Sagar in Telangana, where the yatra will culminate on 1 March. A closing ceremony is scheduled for 2 March.
The march is led by Pra Songshak Kovido, sangha project director from Thailand, and organized by Gagan Malik, president of the Gagan Malik Foundation in Mumbai. According to organizers, the group comprises 60 Thai monastics and around 10 Indian Buddhists.
The monks have been walking for an average of six hours per day, carrying approximately eight kilograms of personal belongings, including their bhiksha patra (alms bowl), a sleeping net, and other essential items. Participants eat only once a day, primarily breakfast, in accordance with monastic discipline.
Many of the Thai monks have undertaken similar pilgrimages over the past nine years, following a year of intensive training. Throughout the walk, they continue to observe the 227 rules that govern the life of a fully ordained monastic.
Organizers have described the event as the “awakening of Buddha teachings in India.” (The Hindu) Malik said the yatra was an expression of gratitude to India as the land where Buddhism first took shape before spreading across Asia. “We owe it to India, several bhikshus said during interactions,” Malik shared, adding that while Buddhism flourished globally, its presence within India today was limited. (The Hindu)
India is home to significant Buddhist pilgrimage sites, including Bodh Gaya, Sarnath, and Kushinagar, yet Buddhists constitute a small minority of the country’s population. The organizers said the march was intended to gently rekindle public awareness of the Buddha’s teachings in their country of origin.
One aspect that organizers highlighted is the reception the group has received along their route. According to Malik, masjids, mandirs, Christian institutions, and Sikh communities have welcomed the monastics, offering food, rest, and encouragement. “This is a message not only for India but for the entire world,” he said, describing the interfaith hospitality as a sign of harmony amid broader social tensions. (The Hindu)
In total, the route from Kalaburgi to Nagarjunasagar spans 423 kilometers and includes daily pauses across districts such as Lingampally, Sadasivapet, Sangareddy, and Isnapur. The final stage will include chanting at the main temple complex in Buddhavanam. A YouTube channel has been set up to share videos of their journey.
This year’s padayatra marks the third such initiative by the organizers, following earlier editions in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh. It is the first to be held in southern India, an effort, organizers said, to reconnect regions geographically and spiritually to the Buddha’s message. As the monastics continue their journey toward, organizers said the focus remained on walking, chanting, and quiet engagement with communities along the way—embodying the itinerant traditions that marked the earliest centuries of Buddhism in India.
See more
Dhammayatra (YouTube)
Thai, Indian monks bring 400-km Dhammayatra to Hyderabad with call to revive Buddhism in India (The Hindu)
Jupally To Welcome 3rd Monks Dhamma Padayatra in Hyderabad (Deccan Chronicle)
3rd Dhamma Padayatra reaches Hyderabad; Minister Jupally to receive delegation of monks (News Meter)
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