Buddhists to hold social activities

JAKARTA (JP): Buddhists who are members of the Vihara Nirmala Foundation in Tangerang will be doing voluntary social work in honor of the Buddhist holiday of Cioko on Friday.

The organizing committee has also prepared various other programs including pray services, the foundation's chairman, Budhi Suardaya, was quoted by Antara as saying yesterday.

Budhi said during that the volunteer work, garments, school equipment and more than 20 tons of rice will be donated to various orphanages, social institutions taking care of elderly people, Islamic boarding schools and poor people. This year's commemoration of the Cioko holiday will reflect Buddhists' social solidarity toward the public at large, he said.

Budhi also told reporters that financial donations from the Tangerang administration as well from several donors have enabled the foundation to start renovating Vihara Nirmala monastery which was built more than 300 years ago.

Budhi, who was accompanied by another executive of the foundation, Trisno Budiyanto, said the renovation work will cost around Rp 500 million.

"The total fund has yet to be collected as we are still waiting for financial donations from other donors, either in groups or individuals, so that the renovation work can be completed as scheduled," Budhi said.(bas)