Berhampur: A team of Kung Fu nuns, women from an age-old Buddhist sect, have set out on a country-wide bicycle tour to promote women empowerment, a report said Thursday.
Attired in red and black clothes, 155 nuns reached this city Thursday as part of their mission.
They arrived with oodles of confidence and displayed not a shred of exhaustion as residents stood on both sides of the road to catch a glimpse of the cyclists.
The nuns started their tour titled ‘Live to Love’ from Kathmandu December 23. Hailing from the Himalayan region, the nuns are known for their service mentality.
They not only work for propagation of Buddhism but also for women empowerment. The nuns also impart Kung Fu training to girls and help them in self-defence.
As part of their mission, they travel 60-70 km per day on bicycles and have covered cities like Gorakhpur, Delhi, Vijayawada and Vishakhapatnam.
After spending some time in Berhampur stadium, the team left for Dhauli in Bhubaneswar. They are scheduled to visit some more Buddhist sites in the state before ending their tour at Vikramashila in Bihar.
This is the fifth such bicycle tour of the Kung Fu nuns. Earlier, they had undertaken tours to spread awareness on environmental pollution, human trafficking, women safety and child protection.
Jigme Hise, coordinator from Himachal Pradesh, said, “Our mission is to spread the message of women empowerment among people because India and Nepal are the two countries where girls are confined to their homes and engaged in domestic chores. A girl dreams a lot for her future but she never gets the support to fulfill them.”
Jigme Wangchuk, 20, from Bhutan is the youngest in the group. She became a nun at the age of 11.
“Our aim is to let the world know that a girl can live without fear.” she said, adding confidence is in their blood and they have never encountered any problem during their tour.
PNN