Bhubaneswar, Oct 18: Odisha’s rich Buddhist heritage will take centre stage as the ancient Udayagiri hills in Jajpur district prepare to host a nine-day international Buddhist conference dedicated to Guru Padmasambhava.

Scheduled from December 28, 2026 to January 5, 2027, the event is expected to bring together around 2,500 Buddhist monks, scholars and researchers from 20 countries, turning the historic site into a global hub of Buddhist spirituality, scholarship and cultural exchange.

The event is expected to draw around 2,500 participants, including Buddhist monks, scholars and researchers from 20 countries. Delegates are expected from Thailand, Bhutan, Japan, South Korea, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, China, Mongolia and the United States, among other nations.

Announcing the conference, Wangmo Dixey, Executive Director of the Light of BuddhaDharma Foundation International, India (LBDFI), based in Bodh Gaya, said the event would honour Guru Padmasambhava, who is revered as the Second Buddha.

Dixey said Padmasambhava was associated with Sambal, believed to be present-day Sambalpur in Odisha, and taught at the ancient Puspagiri University. She also referred to an inscription behind the Avalokitesvara statue near the entrance to Udayagiri, which, according to her, indicates that his mortal remains were preserved in a casket at the site.

The conference programme will include academic seminars, Buddhist discourses, panel discussions, film screenings, cultural performances and photographic exhibitions. Participants will also visit prominent Buddhist heritage sites in Odisha, including Ratnagiri, Lalitagiri, Langudi and Kaima.

Lalitagiri, Ratnagiri and Udayagiri, collectively known as Odisha’s ‘Diamond Triangle’, stand as important reminders of the state’s rich Buddhist heritage and historical links with the spread of Buddhism.