Pragya Vihar School - Bodh Gaya, India

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We are pleased to announce that American film maker Tom Riddle has made a 30 minute documentary in January 2004 featuring scenes from Bodh Gaya and the Pragya Vihar school. This wonderful film features scenes from the Maha Bodhi monument, the Tree of the Buddha's enlightenment, as well as interviews with teachers and pupils of the Pragya Vihar school. 

This is the second film about the school that Tom Riddle has made. We would like to use the film to raise much needed funds to support the school's 450 children. Please contact christopher@insightmeditation.org for further information about ordering copies of this unique film.

In 1992, a Dharma student at the Bodh Gaya retreats initiated a small class for children from the poorest families. Through the kind generosity of westerners, the class has expanded to a large inter-religious school - the Pragya Vihar School (the School of Abiding Wisdom) - for around 500 children.

Our teachers aim to nourish the spiritual, cultural, practical, social and intellectual development of the pupils.

It costs £23 or $35 to give a child education in the school for a year.

In February 2003 Christopher Titmuss, of Gaia House, and Tom Riddle, from the USA, made a 30 minute documentary film called "Purity and Poverty: an Appeal for the Pragya Vihar School". 

It is our intention to make this film available on DVD or Videocassette as a means to raise funds for the school - which is situated a few minutes walk from the sacred Bodhi Tree, where the Buddha was enlightened 2,500 years ago.

Please support our school. Every donation goes directly towards running and maintening the school. Please send donations in any currency.

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"The Pragya Vihar School is currently in the position of leasing a larger piece of land for a minimum of 100 years near Bodh Gaya so that we can expand our school in terms of classes and ages. To lease the land and build a similar size school, we would need to raise around $50,000 (£35,000). We would then establish the current school as the Pragya Vihar Vocational Training Centre, where young people would learn a variety of practical skills including bricklaying, electricity maintenance, weaving, pottery, clothes making, computer training and learning to run a small business. It is a major project. 

"It is for us a lot of money to raise. At present, we are able to cover the annual school running costs for 500 children aged 5-16 years - but only just. We would like to initate the lease of the land but we hesitate because of the need to raise such a sum of money.

"We welcome your support and advice on such a project for our school that serves the educational, cultural and diverse religious sentiments of all the children. It is a very special school and truly worthy of support. Film maker, Tom Riddle and I hope to make another film next year on the school, interviewing teachers, pupils and parents. We will visit the homes of the children and their desperately poor parents. You will see the desperate plight of these children, whose lives become transformed through education. Education is the key to social and economic change. And it costs so little to educate a child for the whole year - less than a tank of petrol in the car. Help us to support children, who love going to school and love their teachers. "

Christopher Titmuss

The school relies totally on donations. These can be sent to the following contacts:

From the United Kingdom: send cheques or money orders to:

Prajna Vihar School,

c/- Christopher Titmuss

7 Denys Road

Totnes TQ9 5TJ Devon England

or bankers order to:

Prajna Vihar School

Account Number: 94580049

Sort Code: 60-21-48

9 Fore Street, Totnes,

Devon TQ9 5DB, ENGLAND

Contact person is Christopher Titmuss, email:christopher@insightmeditation.org

From Switzerland: send cheques or money orders to:

Schule Bodhgaya, c/- Felix Helg

Speicherstrasse 37

CH - 8500 Frauenfeld

SWITZERLAND

or a funds transfer to:

Schule Bodhgaya

Felix Helg, 8500 Frauenfeld

Konto: 85-1911-4

SWITZERLAND

Contact person is Felix Helg, email felix.helg@email.ch

From Australia:

see www.dharma.org.au/bda

 From other places: funds can be sent to any of the places or accounts above. International cheques are easier to process when made out in the currency of the receiving country.

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