Sakyamuni’s sarira to be worshiped in HK, Macao

佛顶骨舍利港澳迎请团抵宁 各方筹备圣物首次出巡

中新社南京4月24日电 (记者 申冉)24日下午，由93岁的香港佛教联合会会长觉光长老率队的释迦摩尼佛顶骨舍利港澳迎请团一行百余人抵宁。南京佛顶骨舍利赴港澳供奉盛典工作正式启动。

Nanjing (CNS) -- Sakyamuni's os parietale sarira, or his found remains in the form of cremation ash, are normally kept in Nanjing City of Jiangsu Province but are being taken to Macao and Hong Kong for local Buddhists' worship.

The transfer team consists of over 100 people led by the 93 year old chairman of the Hong Kong Buddhist Association, master Jueguang, who arrived in Nanjing on Tuesday.

A solemn ceremony was held in the afternoon to respectfully "invite" the relics out of the Chongguang Pagoda. In the early hours of Wednesday morning, the team set off on their mission to escort the relics to destinations in Hong Kong and Macao.

According to an official from Nanjing, this sacred Buddhist relic is kept in a specially designed sealed glass case at all times. To ensure the relics have a safe trip, they have placed the case in the Pagoda of King Asoka, and encased the pagoda in a bullet-proof glass cover as the final shield.

Twenty-four monks will guard the relics the entire way for twenty four hours per day in turn.