Historians set Butuan meet to discuss journey of ‘Golden Tara’

By BEN SERRANO
Correspondent

BUTUAN City–Historians from across the world, even ordinary history buffs, are psyched up for a gathering here on Nov. 21 to discuss the journey of one of the most important archeological artifacts––the 21-carat Golden Tara.

The first Golden Tara Conference is the collaborative concept and effort of historians of a community called Arya Tara Rigpa-Rime Dharpa and local historian Dr. Potenciano Malvar.

The organization of the historians would provide free reading materials to the delegates; the Department of Tourism will provide the food, while Malvar, who owns Balanghai Hotel and Convention Center, will provide the venue.

One of the keynote speakers, Ven Lama Yeshe Lhundrup, who belong to the community called Arya Tara Rigpa-Rime Dharpa, will discuss “The Secret of the Golden Tara in the Transformation of a Nation.”

According to Lhundrup, the Golden Tara could be the “redemptive factor” of the Philippines.

Another topic which could pique the interest of historians during the conference is the Golden Tara’s journey from India to Tibet and from Bhutan to Butuan.

In 1917, after a storm and flood, Bilay Campos of the Manobo tribe discovered the four-pound golden figurine of a female Hindu deity at Wawa River (part of Agusan River) in Esperanza, Agusan del Sur.

Constancia Guiral, grand daughter of the late Campos, would be one of the keynote speakers of the planned international conference.

There have been attempts to bring back the Golden Tara to the country, particularly to Agusan, where it was originally found but all attempts were unsuccessful.

The 13th Century solid gold statue is now housed in the Fields Museum in Chicago, and is known there as Agusan Gold Image. It was brought to the US by General Leonard Wood at the time when the country was still an American colony and was eventually donated to the Chicago Field Museum.