SPEECH BY GEORGE YEO, SINGAPORE MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS, AT THE TAGORE CONFERENCE IN KOLKATA, INDIA, ON 20 DEC 2010
REALISING TAGORE'S DREAM FOR GOOD RELATIONS
BETWEEN INDIA AND CHINA

1. In the early 30's, a Chinese Buddhist monk from Beijing, Ven Dao Jie (道阶), while on a pilgrimage to India, resolved to rebuild a dilapidated Chinese temple in Sarnath that was established with the patronage of the Chinese Emperor in the 8th century during the Tang Dynasty.  Unfortunately, he died before he could do it.  Together with his disciple Ven De Yu (德玉) from Sichuan, a Singapore businessman Lee Choon Seng (李俊承) supported by Tan Yun Shan (谭云山) whom he knew well, decided to carry out this task.  Lee Choon Seng donated the land for the building of the Buddhist Lodge in Singapore and was the first Chairman of the Singapore Buddhist Federation.  He engaged an English engineer A H King to help in the restoration which was completed around 1939 and which is the temple we see today in Sarnath.  The temple is located next to the Deer Park where the Buddha gave his first sermon, and turned the Dharmacakra or Falun (法轮) for the first time.  Tan Yun Shan was very likely the man who got Rabindranath Tagore to write the preface for the opening of the renovated temple.
2. Tagore wrote:
"The glorious history of the spiritual communication between China and India once raised its memorial on the sacred spot near Benares where Lord Buddha had proclaimed to his first five disciples his message of the emancipation of self in love.  The architectural record of the two peoples' mingling of souls perished in course of time and its memory has lain obscure since then for series of obvious centuries.  To-day when we feel deep in our heart the stir of a new awakening, let us rejoice in the fact that an attempt is being made to reconstruct the monastery in Sarnath originally established by the Chinese Emperor of Tang Dynasty 1300 years ago.  Numerous are the monuments built to perpetuate the memory of injuries inflicted by one murdering race upon another, but let us, once for all, for the sake of humanity, restore one memorial of a generous past to remind us of an ancient meeting of countries in Asia for the exchange of love, for the establishment of spiritual comradeship among nations separated by a vast distance in geography and race."

Netaji Research Bureau seeks proposals and estimates from professional agencies for the following :

1) Digitization of collections
2) Creation of catalogues, museum guides, picture post cards, monographs, hand-lists, newsletter, brochures, audio-guides, to the museum
3) Development of interactive computer, multi media programmes and Av-Kiosks and
4) Development of a virtual reality museum for web.
For further details enquires may be sent to
Netaji Museum, Netaji Bhawan
38/2 Lala Lajpat Rai Sarani
Kolkata 700 020.
Phone – 2486 8139, Fax – 2486 8070, E-mail nrb@cal.vsnl.net.in

Proposals and estimates must be received by 27th August 2011.

Netaji Research Bureau seeks proposals and estimates from professional agencies for the supply and installation of powder coated storage cabinets and acid free archival boxes in a climate controlled store room for the museum.
For further details enquires may be sent to
Netaji Museum, Netaji Bhawan
38/2 Lala Lajpat Rai Sarani
Kolkata 700 020.
Phone – 2486 8139, Fax – 2486 8070, E-mail nrb@cal.vsnl.net.in
Proposals and estimates must be received by 27th August 2011.