Just thought this is interesting to share.
Ram Bomjon maintains his
vigil in the shade of his pipal tree
Pilgrims flock to see 'Buddha boy' said to have fasted six
months
Thousands of pilgrims are pouring into the dense jungle of southern
Nepal to worship a 15-year-old boy who has been hailed as a new
Buddha.
Devotees claim that Ram Bomjon, who is silently meditating beneath
a tree, has not eaten or drunk anything since he sat down at his
chosen spot six months ago.
Witnesses say they have seen light emanating from the teenager's
forehead.
"It looks a bit like when you shine a torch through your hand,"
said Tek Bahadur Lama, a member of the committee responsible for
dealing with the growing number of visitors from India and
elsewhere in Nepal.
Photographs of Ram Bomjon, available for five rupees (4p) from his
makeshift shrine, have become ubiquitous across the region. "Far
and wide, it's the only topic of conversation," said Upendra
Lamichami, a local journalist.
He said no allegation had yet emerged of Ram breaking his fast or
moving, even to relieve himself.
Santa Raj Subedi, the chief government official in Bara district,
appealed to the capital, Kathmandu, for assistance in dealing with
the influx of visitors, and for a team of scients to examine the
case.
Local doctors failed to reach a final conclusion, although they
were allowed no closer than five yards from the boy mystic,
declaring that they could confirm no more than that he was
alive.
The popularity of the phenomenon is partly because it resembles an
episode in the life of the historical Buddha, who was born 160
miles away around 543 BC. The Buddha achieved enlightenment when he
meditated beneath a sacred pipal tree for 49 days.
Ram Bomjon is also sitting beneath a pipal tree, in the same
posture as the Buddha is depicted, but his vigil has already taken
longer.
Ram's mother, who is called Maya Devi, like the Buddha's mother,
admits to anxiety, particularly at meal times. But she tells
herself: "God took him to the forest and I have faith that God will
feed him."
She said: "He's definitely got thinner. Early in the morning he
looks sunken, like there's no blood in him, but as the sun rises he
seems to get brighter and brighter."
The fervour increased last week when a snake is said to have bitten
Ram, and a curtain was drawn around him.
After five days it was opened and he spoke. "Tell the people not to
call me a Buddha. I don't have the Buddha's energy. I am at the
level of rinpoche [lesser divinity].
"A snake bit me but I do not need treatment. I need six years of
deep meditation."
Despite his protestations, "Buddha boy" is famous.
A thriving market has grown in the once pristine forest, supplying
pilgrims with everything from chewing tobacco and bicycle repairs
to incense and sacred amulets. The ground is covered in
litter.
A fence was built around Ram's tree to prevent pilgrims prodding
him, then a second, and now a third is planned, as well as a bus
park, leaving Ram at the centre of an ever growing circle of
rubbish.
Prakash Lamsal, a businessman said: "Some people are selling 2,500
rupees [£20] worth of tea a day.
"These lamas [monks] are going to build mansions out of this. If I
wasn't a bit embarrassed I'd take a van down there and set up a
stall."
