These agreements include the Memorandum of Understanding on Nalanda University as a symbol of Buddhist heritage shared by India and Vietnam, and the Memorandum of Understanding for the Conservation and Restoration of the World Heritage Site of My Son

Nalanda Monastery relics

The Memorandum of Understanding on the Establishment of Nalanda University between the Republic of India and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam was signed between India Ministry of External Affairs and Vietnam Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This signing has been regarded as part of reverence for the ancient monatery where Buddhism studies flourished more than 1,000 years ago, and also to revive Buddhist links.

Nalanda University, located in Rajgir in Nalanda District of the State of Bihar, is a non-state, non-profit, self-governing international institution which aims to bring together the brightest and the most dedicated students from all countries for the pursuit of intellectual, philosophical, historical and spiritual studies and thus, achieve qualities of tolerance, accommodation and mutual understanding. The MoU to cooperate on the historic Nalanda University project has been earlier signed by 10 countries from the EAS and 1 non-EAS country as part of the international support to the University.

The Memorandum of Understanding between the Republic of India and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam for the Conservation and Restoration of the World Heritage Site of My Son, Quang Nam Province, Vietnam was signed between Indian Ministry of Culture and Vietnam Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

My Son world heritage in Quang Nam province in Central Vietnam

My Son is located near the village of Duy Phu, in the administrative district of Duy Xuyên in Quảng Nam Province in Central Vietnam, 69 km southwest of Da Nang. The My Son temple complex is regarded one of the foremost Hindu temple complexes in Southeast Asia and is the foremost heritage site of this nature in Vietnam.  As of 1999, Mỹ Sơn has been recognized by UNESCO as a world heritage site.

The MoU flows from the proposal to make use of India’s expertise and assistance in restoration of Group of Temples at the World Heritage Site of My Son, Quang Nam Province of Vietnam and the subsequent ‘Initial Conservation Report and Project Plan’ of Archaeological Survey of India of May 2011. The project is to be funded by the Ministry of External Affairs and implemented by Archaeological Survey of India on behalf of Government of India.

In addition, on October 27 Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyễn Tấn Dũng visited the Buddhist holy city of Bodh Gaya in Bihar state. Speaking at a welcoming reception by Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, Prime Minister Dũng proposed to set up direct flights between Bodh Gaya and Hanoi, and to create visa-on-arrival facility for Vietnamese saying it would boost the number of Buddhist pilgrims to the Buddhist holy site. After prayers at the Mahabodhi temple, a Buddhist sacred shrine where Gautama Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment about 2,550 years ago, Prime Minister Dũng said that Buddhism binds India and Vietnam together./.

Tri An