Buddha reincarnation worshipped in Nepal

Second coming ... Ram Bahadur Bamjan re-emerged in Nepal to bless devotees after meditating without food and water for more than three years / AP

PEOPLE from all over the world are flocking to Nepal to worship a teenage boy who many believe is the reincarnation of Buddha.

Followers say Ram Bahadur Bamjan, 18, re-emerged from the Ratanpur jungle, about 160km south of Kathmandu, after meditating without food and water for more than three years, the Associated Press reports.

Ram, who was last spotted in the jungles of southern Nepal in 2005, is believed to have spent months without moving, sitting with his eyes closed beneath a tree.

During meditation Ram is also said to have been bitten by a snake on two separate occasions.

For those who worship such a feat, Ram's appearance was a chance to witness the miracle in the flesh.

Looking healthy and surrounded by a line of Buddhist monks, Ram blessed followers with the touch of the "divine" from atop a podium covered in yellow cloth.

"I got a chance to see God today. They say he is Buddha, but for me he is just God," said Bishnu Maya Khadka.

Ram, who has never claimed to be Buddha, is expected to address his followers on November 18 and then retreat again into the jungle for meditation.
November 13, 2008 01:15pm