A premier Buddhist institution of Delhi, Asoka Mission was founded by the eminent Cambodian monk Ven. Dharmavara Mahathera in 1948 with invaluable support from Prime Minister Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru and other public men and scholars.
Asoka Mission is a registered society. Its objective is “to promote friendly relations, understanding and peace amongst men through education, health care, social and religious services and economic upliftment”. It endeavours to promote friendly relations between nations and communities.
Asoka Mission has the privilege of receiving high ranking dignitaries like HH the Dalai Lama, HH the Panchhen Lama, Prince Norodom Sinhanouk of Cambodia, HH Sangharaja of Laos, Fuji Guruji of Japan, HH Gamboja Hambo Lama of Mongolia, former President KR Narayanan of India and many others. Former Prime Minister of Myanmar, U Nu had planted the bodhi tree on the mission premises in 1953.
Ven. Dharmavara Mahathera left for USA in 1975. Asoka Mission was formally reorganized with Ven. Lama Lobzang as President. New Activities were started to revitalize it.
Asoka Mission campus is spread over 12.5 acres in the heart of capital city of India. One of the old structures is used as the shrine. It has been regularly celebrating the bUddha Purnima and other functions and religious rituals. It has been organizing meditation camps and retreats, (including those by foreign monks) from time to time.
Asoka Mission apart from running a meditation center and its other activities is presently concentrating on providing a firm foundation to its research wing, Centre for Studies in Transnational Buddhism & Civilizations. It is engaged in research on Education in Ancient Asia of which the Global Buddhist Congregation, the current conference is an offshoot. Before this conference, The Meaning of SriNalanda, held in April 28th to 30th, 2003 was the first international conference the Mission conducted. The Mission is also engaged in two other projects, viz., the Himalayan Research Centre for High Altitude Diseases, and the Asoka Mission Health Care Centre, New Delhi- A lifeline for Ladakh.
Note: Text sourced from: https://www.indiamart.com/asoka-mission-delhi/aboutus.html
