From 40m away, he is an almost-deity like figure and that’s the least distance from where the normal people can watch Ram Bahadur Bomjam, the ‘new Buddha’, who is meditating under the pipal tree for last 6 months and 23 days – that is more than 200 days without food and water, if you believe there can be miracles. ‘Its impossible’ is the first reaction from anybody. Then there are suspicions – he eats at night or there is something being hidden.
The new Buddha boy is the newest talk of the country (even region with Indian channels flooding in the famous jungle to document him). The people are walking into the jungle for a darshan, offering worships and the midst of the jungle has turned into a marketplace. The newest Buddha of our times is well documented – two books at Rs. 15 each can be bought, various photographs at Rs. 10 are available if you want, even a documentary had been made and a locally produced VCD priced Rs 30 (even more if you don’t bargain) is being sold.
18 guards are employed at the monthly payment of Rs 2000 each; 18 more of the committee for the protection of his mediation are offering their service free of cost and more than 60 volunteers are helping people. They will look after your shoes, but won’t ask for any fee for that (if you offer some they won’t deny). They are all ready to help you if you wish to find out the truth (off course, they won’t let you touch the mediating boy), they will let you put a camera for whole day and night as long as you wish, they will eagerly show you the account of money they received from donations if you wish to see them. They have used half of the money collected so far for the improvement of area, salary of guards and foods while half of it has been kept at the bank. The members of the committee are ready to leave the job if the local government wish to replace them (but police won’t come to guard in the middle of the jungle, they say).
But over all this will you believe he is mediating for more than 200 days without any food and water? I will write more on the Buddha boy, my travelogue to the jungle with my photojournalist friend Bikash Karki and more in coming days.
