Celebrating the occasion of India’s position as the Chief Organizer for the International Tipitaka Chanting Ceremony for 2025 and 2026, a press conference jointly organized by the Light of Buddhadharma Foundation International (LBDFI) and the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC) was held at the Samvet Auditorium, Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), New Delhi on 16th November 2025.

The Tipitaka Chanting organized by the LBDFI for around two decades is considered to be the largest International Buddhist event in Southeast Asia and India that gathers monastics and lay devotees from around the world. The 12-day ceremony from 2nd to 12th December, 2025 to be held in Bodhgaya, will bring together over 20,000 Sangha members and lay people from across the world. Complementing this, on 13th December, a commemorative walk retracing the Buddha’s footsteps from Jethian Valley to the Bamboo Grove of Venuvana in Rajgir will also take place.

Highlighting the significance of this chanting, Shri Abhijit Halder, Director General, IBC stated that the purpose of this chanting is to collectively understand the teachings of the Buddha. It is to bring everyone together irrespective of the barriers. The very manner of chanting is believed to influence one’s physical and mental well-being. He remarked, this year is special as India is hosting this sacred event and the crowd is expected to increase. The DG acknowledged the efforts of the Ms. Wangmo Dixey, Executive Director and Mr. Richard Dixey, Associate Director, respectively of LBDFI, in co-ordinating with monks around the world to be gathered at Bodhgaya to honour the teachings of the Buddha.

In his address, Ven. Bhikkhu Sanghasena, President of the International Tipitaka Chanting Council (ITCC) India, stated that Bodhgaya stands as the holiest site for this sacred chanting. In addition to the Director General’s view that the Dhamma continues to illuminate the world with universal compassion, he remarked that the Tipitaka chanting represents a profound revival of Buddha Dhamma in the very land of the Buddha’s birthplace. For India, this sacred gathering serves as a source of guidance and inspiration, representing the symbolic return of the Buddha to his homeland. India’s greatest gift to humanity has been the compassionate teachings of the Buddha, reaffirming its role as ‘Vishvaguru’, with the message of the Buddha now embraced across the globe. At a time when the world looks to India for peace, the chanting bridges nations with ancient wisdom rooted in compassion. This spiritual resurgence is further strengthened by the presence of one of the largest numbers of ordained Sangha members.

The teachings of the Buddha have shaped vast regions of Asia including Southeast Asia, Korea, and Japan, remarked Mr. Richard Dixey, Associate Director, LBDFI. He stated that the Buddha Dhamma stands as one of the crown jewels of India. Mr. Dixey shed light on how India was the cradle of some of the world’s earliest democracies and universities, with Vaishali in Bihar predating Greece, as the first known democratic republic, and Nalanda establishing critical philosophy a millennium before the Western tradition. The richness of Buddhist literature is unparalleled, with over 13 million texts which is more than the scriptures of all other world religions combined.

In addition to this, Ms. Wangmo Dixey, Executive Director, LBDFI highlighted the significance of the chanting lies in its heartfelt commitment to preserving the ancient Pali tradition. She expressed her gratitude towards the Government of India for the declaration of Pali as a Classical language in 2024. She stated that the practice of chanting embodies the essence of ‘recite, remember, and reflect’, allowing practitioners to internalize the teachings of the Buddha with clarity and devotion. Today, the ceremony unites participants from 22 countries, reaching nearly one million viewers online, and has successfully completed the recitation of the entire Sutta Pitaka in the last 19 years, now progressing through the Vinaya Pitaka. This year, the chanting will be rendered in seven different scripts, showcasing the linguistic richness of the Pali tradition. The spiritual journey is also marked by a remarkable 10,000 km of cumulative pilgrimage walks undertaken over the years. She acknowledged that the IBC plays a vital role in connecting these efforts with government support, fully aligned with its mission to uphold Dhamma. This year, three significant walks will be hosted including the 15 km Jethian Valley Walk, the 20 km Mahakassapa Walk, and the 7-day Mahaprajapati Gotami Walk, each honouring the legacy of the great disciples of the Buddha while inspiring global participation.

The event concluded with an enriching Question and Answer session with the Media. The questions were surrounding the Buddhist policies in India and they enquired about the ongoing efforts for the Buddhist activities undertaken by the Government/IBC.