Ever wondered what happened to the Maha Bodhi Society’s grandiose plan to rebuild Afghanistan’s flattened Bamiyan Buddha statues? The society said they didn’t get a red cent to carry out the scheme.

"We gave up the idea," said M. M. P. Senaratne, Secretary of the Society. "We didn’t receive a red cent."

Also, former Agriculture Minister D. M. Jayaratne started constructing another massive Buddha statue in Gampola and thus managed to overshadow the Maha Bodhi Society’s plan.

In 2001, the society — riding high on waves of anger which accompanied the devastation of the Bamiyan statues by the Taleban — advertised in newspapers announcing its intention to build a scaled down version of the larger statue. The purpose was to ensure that succeeding generations would know what it had looked like.

To do so, the society canvassed avidly for public donations. The campaign was sustained for a few months and even received international attention till it fizzled out due to lack of public interest. (NW)