Location:
Near Balaghata Town, Bandarban.
The Budha Dhatu Jadi is well famous as the Golden Temple of Bandarban among the travelers and tourists.The temple is the largest Theravada Buddhist Temple in Bangladesh. The second largest Buddha statue in Bangladesh lies there.
The temple belongs to the Theravada Buddhism followers. This religion is practiced by the Marma tribal people, a dominant ethnic group in Bandarban.
Significance of the Name:
The Buddha Dhatu Jadi
The Bangla word ‘Dhatu’ means Material. Here ‘Dhatu’ refers to the material that belongs to a sacred owner. As the material belongs to Buddha in this temple, it was named ‘The Buddha Dhatu Jadi’.
History:
In Bangladesh, the Theravada Buddhism is presently known as “Sangharaj Nikaya”. This was introduced in the late 19th century, replacing many of the old forms of Buddhism practices. The credit for this is given to Ven. Saramedha, known popularly as “Sangharaj”.
The ethnic population of Bandarban is mainly Marma or Magh, a tribal group of the Chittagong Hill Tracts. They are of Arakan descent and Buddhists by religion, and are the second largest ethnic tribal group in the hill districts of Bangladesh.
Ven. U Pannya Jota Thera is the founder and chief priest of the temple. He belongs to Royal Bohmong family of Bandarban. He is a Theravada monk since 1991. He had served the Government of Bangladesh for 8 years as a Senior Assistant Judge. The Buddha’s Dhatu (relic), which is enshrined in the temple, was a gift given to Ven. U Pannya Jota Thera in 1994 by the State Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee of Myanmar.
Construction of the temple started in 1995 and was complete in 2000.
Architectural Analysis:
The elegant looking temple built on the hill top and is decorated with exquisite sculptural images.
Apart from the second biggest Lord Buddha statue enshrined in the sanctum, there are smaller statues and a golden bell set on a dragon within the temple precincts. The Dhatu, the corporeal relics of Buddha, has been enshrined here below four statues of Buddha. The Dhatu is enshrined here, with the basic belief among Buddhists that it provides for peace of mind and happiness.
Tourism and Accessibility:
The temple now forms a part of the Tourism Development Project of the ‘Buddhist Circuit Tour’ that is sponsored by the South Asia Sub regional Economic Cooperation. A strict dress code of ‘no shorts and no shoes’ in temple precincts is followed here.
Reference: Wikipedia.
Nice place for tourists