In honor of Vesak Day, thirty-six Thai priests made their way to the Borobudur Temple on Saturday, marking the conclusion of a religious pilgrimage that spanned over 2,500 kilometers on finger from Thailand to Indonesia.
The priests took part in International Thudong 2025, a Buddhist journey that started at Sanam Luang in Bangkok on February 6.
Before arriving at the beautiful Borobudur Temple, a Unesco World Heritage site and the largest Mahayana Buddhist temple in Central Java, the group traveled across four nations, including Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia.
This is the second year of the International Thudong function, following its annual copies in 2023 and 2024, according to Supriyadi, director standard of Buddhist group guidance at Indonesia’s Ministry of Religious Affairs.
On April 16, the priests flew to Jakarta and resumed their running toward Borobudur, where they crossed Batam area to enter the country’s Muslim-majority country. Their appearance at the temple’s wall on Saturday night at 4.20 pm received a warm welcome.
In a symbolic gesture of religious harmony and solidarity, people of various beliefs, including Christians and Muslims, gathered to give flowers and meditate peacefully.
The Indonesian authorities will guarantee the priests ‘ health throughout their be, according to Gugun Gumilar, Special Staff to the Minister of Religious Affairs.
Phra Khru Wichai, a top priest in Wat Khao Phiseu Thongkham in Phetchabun state, expressed deep emotion after offering prayer at the main temple.
” It feels like I’m going home, even though this is my second time visiting Borobudur and Indonesia. It was like discovering a long-lost, missing part in my life when I saw the Buddha monument in the main temple.
He reflected on the spiritual energy of the church, saying,” Every masonry that forms this church is a testament to the collective beliefs of people working together to create things wonderful.”
Phra Khru Wichai praised Indonesia’s harmony when asked about its religious diversity.
Everyone has a common aspiration: peace through tolerance, despite differences in religion and language. It is true diversity unity. We are a single community, whether Buddhist, Christian, or Muslim.
He expressed his optimism about the expansion of Buddhism in the area, noting that while Buddhists are a minority in Indonesia, their numbers are still significant despite the country’s large population.
He questioned the greater significance of the pilgrimage, particularly as Thailand and Indonesia observe their 75 years of diplomatic relations. Religion can act as a bridge between nations.
He shared a moment during the journey when the monks were soon invited to speak with a Catholic pastor in the Vatican about the new pope’s election.
We discussed how various religions from various nations can come together to promote harmony, respect, and peace, he said.
This thudong is more than just a journey. It’s a spiritual light that teaches us to unite people of different faiths to bring peace to a divided world, he said.