BAMIYAN BUDDHAS 

To the Northeast of the royal city, there is a mountain, on the declivity of which is placed a stone figure of the Buddha, erect, in height 140 – 150 feet. Its golden hues sparkle on every side, and its precious ornaments dazzle the eyes with their brightness.

                                                          Hsuan Tsang 632 AD

About Bamiyan Buddhas

• The Bamiyan Buddhas or Buddhas of Bamiyan were two 6th-7^th century monumental statues, Salsal and Shahmama.
• These rock-cut Buddha sculptures were carved into the side of a cliff in the Hazarajat region, Bamiyan valley of central Afghanistan, 130 kilometres northwest of Kabul at an altitude of 2,500 metres. 
• These statues were collectively known as the Bamiyan Buddhas and they were considered the largest in the world.
• Both the monumental sculptures have grabbed the attention of both Buddhist and non-Buddhist tourists for more than a thousand years.
• The two giant buddha statues were the pride of Bamiyan valley and have been overlooked for nearly 1500 years.
• But in the year 2001 on orders of Mulla Omar, these statues were destroyed by the Taliban after the Taliban government declared that they were idols.
• The Taliban felt that the destruction of the statues of Bamiyan would purify Afghanistan from an age-old offence. 
• The destruction of the statues (which had survived for 15 centuries) has gained attention worldwide and many have strongly condemned the destruction of the Buddha statues.
• Since the destruction, the ruins continue to be a popular cultural landmark for both domestic and international tourists to the Bamiyan valley.
• The surrounding areas around the ruins have since been used for the traditional game of buzkashi, music festivals and other activities/events.
• In 2015 UNESCO in collaboration with the Afghan Ministry of Information and Culture, announced the winning proposal for the Bamiyan Cultural Centre.  
• The Buddhas of Bamiyan have many qualities that make them interesting and inspiring.
• The Bamiyan Project was ARCH International’s first major initiative in this direction.
• Bamiyan valley is an important region holding great potential for the future.
• The project aims to reconstruct both the Buddha statues as many locals, historians, Buddhists worldwide, and travellers who visited it before its destruction have a great bond to these Buddha statues and they want these statues back in the valley.
• Unlike other monuments, which represent the popular ruler or military victories, these more philosophical monuments seek to represent the philosophy of universal brotherhood and unify the values of kindness, wisdom, light and reflection.
• The then President of Afghanistan, Mr Ashraf Ghani had asked the ARCH International in January 2016 to prepare a report for him regarding the different available options for the rebuilding of the Buddhas of Bamiyan.
• Following that report, ARCH was invited to attend the UNESCO meeting “Cultural Heritage and Development Initiatives” in Rome, on May 25-27, 2016.

Current Scenario

• In November 2021, tourists have been accepted at the site, with the Taliban promising to preserve the Bamiyan valley.
• However, the preservation work has ceased and there are no possible indications that reconstruction will occur shortly.