Peace Walk Team Arrives in Lumbini With ‘Aloka’ the Dog

Lumbini. A peace walk team led by Vietnamese monk Pannyakar, carrying the universal message of world peace, compassion and loving-kindness, has arrived in Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha. The team, which reached Lumbini on Sunday as part of the “Walk for Peace” campaign, includes 18 monks, lay followers, and a dog named “Aloka,” who has become associated with the campaign.

On Sunday evening, the team held a peace walk from the Eternal Peace Flame area in Lumbini to the Maya Devi Temple. After reaching the temple, the participants offered prayers, performed worship and practiced meditation. The team was welcomed by Acting Mayor of Lumbini Cultural Municipality Kalpana Harijan and Senior Director of the Lumbini Development Trust Gyanin Rai.

The team led by monk Pannyakar has been walking to spread the message of peace, compassion, harmony and loving-kindness across the world. During the journey, the monks have been sharing Buddha’s philosophy, peace education, meditation, compassion, moral conduct and the importance of coexistence with the public.

Speaking at a welcome program held after the visit and prayer at the Maya Devi Temple, monk Pannyakar said Buddha’s teachings should be embraced in daily life. He said the path shown by Buddha to escape the endless cycle of birth and death and attain liberation and supreme peace remains deeply relevant today.

He said strong determination is necessary for every being to attain liberation and peace. He added that the peace walk had begun with that determination and that a small journey had now earned global respect. Monk Pannyakar emphasized that peace begins within the individual and that every person should practice peace in their own life.

During the program, he also spoke about “Aloka,” the dog accompanying the team. According to him, Aloka has been walking with the team for a long time and has now become known as a symbol of peace. He linked Aloka’s presence with morality, compassion and kindness toward all living beings.

In 2022, while monk Pannyakar was on a walking journey in India, the dog began following the team. Since then, the dog has remained with them. Toward the end of 2025, when the team led by monk Pannyakar decided to begin a journey from Texas in the United States, the dog was taken from Kolkata, India, to the U.S. After reaching America, the dog was named “Aloka.”

Acting Mayor of Lumbini Cultural Municipality Kalpana Harijan said it was meaningful to hold a peace walk in the sacred land from where the message of humanity, compassion, coexistence and universal brotherhood spread across the world. She said the event had further strengthened the spirit of peace, harmony and global unity.

Senior Director of the Lumbini Development Trust Gyanin Rai said the arrival of monk Pannyakar’s team, along with Aloka the dog, had added meaning to the Peace Walk campaign. He expressed confidence that such initiatives would also contribute to promoting peace tourism in Lumbini.

The peace walk team is scheduled to travel to Kathmandu by air on Monday morning. In Kathmandu, the team will visit Boudhanath, Swayambhunath, Charumati and Anand Kuti Vihar. They are also scheduled to meet President Ramchandra Paudel at 5 p.m.

Former president of the Monks’ Association, Bhikkhu Maitri Mahasthavir, said he had taken the initiative to help create an opportunity for people walking tirelessly for world peace to visit Lumbini, the source of peace. He said he became active in coordinating the visit after learning that the team wished to come to Nepal and that meetings with the President and the Prime Minister could be arranged.

He said the peace walk carried out in the United States, a country often seen as divided by religion, politics and ideology, had shown remarkable public interest in compassion, loving-kindness and peace.

Participants and organizers said the peace walk held in Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha, had given further strength to the campaign to spread the message of peace, compassion and coexistence around the world.