Letter from Joel M. Halpern to Nettie and Carl Halpern
Description:
Letter from Joel and Barbara Halpern to his parents Joel and Nettie Halpern during their time in Laos with the USOM. After an initial discussion of the weather, his photography, and his checking account, Halpern describes the beginning of the celebrations of the 2500th anniversary of Buddhism, beginning with "Constitution Day." Subsequently, he describes the central event -- that of the procession toward planting a sapling of the Bodhi tree from Sarnath, India under which the Buddha gave his first sermon after attaining enlightenment. The sapling was given to Crown Prince Savang Vatthana by Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. He also describes the various celebrations held in the evening, such as Vietnamese Torch Dancers. There were lighted lanterns, and candles in every home.
All rights for this image are held by Joel M. Halpern. Requests to publish, redistribute, or replicate this material should be addressed to Special Collections and University Archives, University of Massachusetts Amherst Libraries.
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