The ceremony for the investiture of Ven. Seongpa as the 15th Supreme Patriarch of the Jogye Order took place on March 30, 2022 in Jogyesa, Seoul. In a testament to the extraordinary cooperation and friendship between India and the Korean Buddhist community, Ambassador of India to ROK H.E. Sripriya Ranganathan was asked to deliver congratulatory remarks during the ceremony.

The event was graced by ROK President Moon Jae-in, First Lady Kim Jung-sook, President of Jogye Order Ven Won Heang, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mayor of Seoul Metropolitan Government, leaders of major political parties, several members of the ROK National Assembly, Head monks of various Korean Buddhist temples and other high dignitaries.

Ambassador, in her congratulatory remarks, spoke of the close connections that Buddhism has forged between the Indian and Korean people, right from the days of the legendary Queen Heo to modern times. She recalled the gift of Bodhi saplings to the Korean people by the Indian Government in 2014 and in 2019 and the gift of a bronze statue of Lord Buddha which was enshrined in the holy Tongdosa on May 16, 2021. She also congratulated the Jogye Order upon the completion of Bunhwang-sa in Bodh Gaya. Ambassador congratulated Ven. Seongpa on his assumption of the high office of Supreme Patriarch and expressed the confidence that his leadership would further strengthen the bonds of friendship between India and the Korean Buddhist community.

Prior to the event, Ambassador met Ven. Wonhaeng, President of Jogye Order and discussed the upcoming inauguration of the Bunhwang-sa temple in Bodh Gaya.

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