‘The Second Buddha’ Screening in Delhi on Feb. 24

By Santanu Ganguly, New Delhi: ‘The Second Buddha,’ will be screened at Tibet House, 1 Institutional Area, Lodhi Road on Sunday, February 24, 2013 at 6:30 pm. This is one of the great true stories of the world. It is a story about one of the most powerful personalities in all history. Guru Padmasambhava, with his magic and his flamboyant ritual dances, dominated the Roof of the World in his time in the 8th century.

The great Guru, in the power and majesty of his mission, travelled across the highest mountains of the world. He traversed 2,000 kilometers of inhospitable, high-altitude desert, to spread the message of the Buddha. These are regions where oxygen is scarce in the thin air and often it is difficult to breathe. Mountains reach for the skies and even the hundreds of passes he would have had to cross, are often higher than 15,000 feet. The film attempts to convey some of the drama and meaning of this great story.

"Over the past thirty-two years, I have had the joy of traveling repeatedly to many corners of this vast sub-continent. It is amazing to see how landscapes, culture, food, music, dances, and even language change every few hundred kilometers that you drive. You see the highest mountains of the world, great seas, bountiful rivers and, best of all, a people whose thoughts and heritage go back a few thousand years. For the Doordarshan series ‘Spectacular India’, my crew and I had the pleasure of travelling once again across the whole of India and invite you, through these films, to share the experience with us. This film is a labour of love and perhaps the best film I have ever made. I hope that you may be able to join us for the screening", said Benoy Behl, eminent scholar, photographer and filmmaker.