Thursday marked the beginning of a pilgrimage to India for a 127-strong group of Buddhist monks, making the journey to cleanse their souls.

Organized by the Shanghai Buddhist Association, the group will visit New Delhi and holy sites including Sarnath, Buddh Gaya and Nalanda over a period of 10 days.

"Our predecessors Fa-hsien, Xuanzang and Kumarajiva created the tremendous history of Sino-Indian exchange. We start our journey today to further develop the friendship," said Master Juexing, Vice-Chairman of the Chinese Buddhist Association and head of the group.

The first 26 monks have landed in India with the rest departing on Friday.

The devotees will hold religious ceremonies along the banks of the Ganges River, the largest river in India with waters revered for their holy nature, commemorate Sakyamuni, plant bodhi trees and pray for peace between China and India.

"At the beginning of the China-India Year of Friendship, the journey is significant as a religious and cultural exchange between the two nations," said Nirupama Rao, ambassador of India to China.

Most Chinese are familiar with the pilgrimage of Xuanzang to India more than 1,300 years ago.

The trials and tribulations he experienced on his way to Buddhist enlightenment were depicted in the classical work of fiction "Journey to the West", also known as the "Monkey King".

(Xinhua News Agency January 5, 2007)