Bhante Saranapala gazed down at more than a hundred Buddhist monks wearing burnt-orange, saffron and maroon robes, most sporting woolly hats, a few clutching flowers.

“These monks are awesome!” roared Saranapala, who is known as the “Urban Buddhist Monk”, prompting a cheer from the big crowd. “Their determination should be greatly appreciated. Walking from Texas to Washington DC, 2,300 miles; it requires strong determination!”

The Lincoln Memorial has witnessed much over the past century – Black opera singer Marian Anderson, Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech, Richard Nixon’s late-night chat with the anti-war demonstrators – but rarely a scene as colourful as on Wednesday.

For 19 monks and Aloka, a rescue dog from India, it was an important stop on a 2,300-mile “Walk for Peace”, a self-described spiritual journey across nine states that had been cheered on by crowds of thousands.

The odyssey had begun in Texas 108 days ago, and saw them brave frigid temperatures and a paralysing winter storm, sometimes with bare feet, to raise “awareness of peace, loving-kindness, and compassion across America and the world”.

About 100 monks and nuns joined them in America’s political capital determined to stay away from politics, although among the thousands who gathered at the Lincoln Memorial was someone waving a Palestinian flag and another who held a big sign that said: “Peaceful resistance.”

The gathering took place within view of the recently renamed Donald J Trump Institute of Peace and close by the also recently renamed Trump Kennedy Center. But above the monks were more enduring Washington touchstones such as the 19ft-tall seated statue of Lincoln, carved from Georgia marble, and the aspiration inscribed into the memorial to “bind up the nation’s wounds”.

The monks had come with balm for America’s current wounds and found the weather obliging as the capital emerged from a recent cold snap, though plenty of ice and snow lingered. As the monks took their places below the memorial, a song boomed from loudspeakers: “Spreading peace, love and harmony all the way to Washington DC.”

Several made speeches as birds and the occasional plane flew overhead. Tencho Gyatso, a niece of the Dalai Lama, the highest spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, read a letter paying tribute to the monks: “Their commitment, including enduring physical hardship and challenging weather conditions over a journey of more than 2,000 miles, has drawn attention both within the United States and internationally,” he wrote.

“The message of peace and mutual understanding conveyed through their conduct, marked by humility and calm presence, has resonated with many people as they encountered along the route … May their walk help sow the seeds of greater peace, understanding and compassion in the United States and beyond.”

Bhikkhu Bodhi, a monk originally from Brooklyn, described the walk as one of the most important events of the 21st century and said: “It seems to me that this walk for peace has brought out the greatest quality of the American character, which is the recognition stated in the words of Abraham Lincoln in his Gettysburg address that this is a nation founded upon the principle that – he said all men are created equal. We have to revise that and say all people are created people.

“And this walk has shown that no matter what race you might belong to, whatever ethnicity you might come from, whatever religious faith you might adhere to, whatever the color of your skin might be, we all celebrate peace.”

Peace walks are a cherished tradition in Theravada Buddhism. Some of the monks have walked barefoot or in socks during parts of the journey to feel the ground directly and help them be present in the moment.

But the effort has had its perils. In November, outside Houston, the group was walking on the side of a highway when their escort vehicle was hit by a truck. Two monks were injured; Venerable Maha Dam Phommasan had his leg amputated.

Phommasan, abbot of a temple in Snellville, Georgia, rejoined the monks near Washington and addressed the crowd at the Lincoln Memorial from his wheelchair.

The peace walk garnered interest from millions of people on social media, with many sharing messages of support.

On Wednesday, King’s son, Martin Luther King III, posted on X that the walk is “a powerful reminder that peace is practiced step by step. In a divided time, this is what it looks like to stand up for the best of who we are. Love demands endurance. Peace is strength.”

Some in the crowd at the Lincoln Memorial held roses or signs that included “Warriors of peace welcome”, “Equal rights for all humans” and “Every heart needs an Aloka”. They joined in a chant of “Today is going to be my peaceful day” led by Bhikkhu Pannakara, spiritual leader of the Walk for Peace.

Jacquelyn Gray, 64, who works in construction logistics, said: “I’ve been following them since the day they left and I was impressed that somebody would be so committed to something. I know as well as anybody else that they aren’t gonna get here and, magically, peace will cover the planet, but I admire their commitment to this cause.”

Katharine Naujoks, 57, a high school science teacher, said: “The world needs a bit of communalism and camaraderie and peace and goodwill. A lot of people are looking for that. I want to be a part of this positive experience.”

Reflecting on the monks’ epic walk, which will end in nearby Annapolis, Maryland on Thursday, Naujoks added: “It’s quite amazing, the fact that they had to come in through the coldest time in Virginia, Maryland and DC. We’re not usually that cold, so it’s amazing to me. It just shows that it’s an important thing. It’s important to them and it’s important for everybody else around here.”

Could Washington politicians learn something from them? “That would be lovely,” she said.

After the sewage spill in the Potomac River a few weeks ago, DC Water began pumping the contaminated water and diverting it to the C&O Canal, but on Sunday, another spill released 600,000 more gallons of sewage into the river.

Sunday’s spill was caused by a massive clog of non‑disposable wipes flushed down the toilet, putting two of the pumps used to divert sewage out of commission, DC Water said.

At the same time, right about the time of the Super Bowl, they experienced a heavy flow of sewage coming through the interceptor that they could not keep up with, and there was an overflow, DC Water said. That’s really bad news for the environment and the Potomac River.

DC Water updates E. coli numbers

DC Water also acknowledged that in recent days they put out some of their own testing data on the level of bacteria and E. coli in the river but had their numbers wrong. They blame human error, and it was way off.

But things are somewhat back to normal, and the pumps are once again working well enough to keep the vast majority of raw sewage from making its way into the Potomac River.

DC Water says they are working with a firm to come up with a plan to remediate the area after they fix the pipeline, but they haven’t released any details. It will be weeks before the pipeline is fixed.

People are advised to stay away from the Potomac River and the C&O Canal below the 495 overpass as far down as Georgetown.

ATLANTA – After 108 days on the road, a group of Buddhist monks in saffron robes is set to step into Washington, D.C., on foot Tuesday, finishing a 2,300-mile Walk for Peace that began in Fort Worth, Texas, and drew crowds across the South and up the East Coast.

What we know:

Nineteen monks started the journey Oct. 26, 2025, from the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center, traveling through multiple states — including Georgia — as their quiet, single-file procession became a familiar sight along highways and in town centers. Millions followed along online, often alongside the group’s rescue dog, Aloka. 

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The final days in the capital include outdoor appearances at Washington National Cathedral on Tuesday and the Lincoln Memorial on Wednesday. An interfaith reception is planned at the cathedral, where Washington Episcopal Bishop Mariann Budde is helping host the monks. The Metropolitan Police Department said the monks are expected to enter the District via Chain Bridge around 8 a.m. Tuesday, with rolling road closures across Northwest Washington as they move toward the cathedral.

Buddhist monks’ ‘Walk for Peace’ reaches Alexandria on way to DC

Along the way, the trek has not been without danger. In November outside Houston, an escort vehicle was hit by a truck, injuring two monks.

The collision resulted in the amputation of Venerable Maha Dam Phommasan’s leg, which prompted his return to his home in Snellville, Georgia. However, the monk rejoined his brothers and Aloka at their rest stop on Monday night and for the final leg of the journey to the nation’s capitol. 

In recent days, the monks have dealt with bitter cold and brutal wind and have been met with a handful of protesters along with way.

Throughout the journey, the group of monks and their leader remained calm and steadfast, praying over and blessing many of those who came to see them along the route and reminding everyone in attendance during their daily visititations to make each and every day their “peaceful day.”

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While in Washington, the monks plan to submit a request asking lawmakers to declare Vesak — Buddha’s birthday — a national holiday, though leaders say the walk is not a political campaign.

The schedule continues Wednesday with rolling closures as the group moves toward the National Mall, with stops expected at the Peace Monument on Capitol Hill and St. Mark’s Capitol Hill Church before a final march to the Lincoln Memorial. 

After appearances in the region, the return trip is expected to be easier: The monks plan to appear at Maryland’s Capitol, then take a bus back to Texas, arriving in downtown Fort Worth early Saturday. From there, they plan one more short walk — about 6 miles — back to the temple where the pilgrimage began.

How to follow the monks

For those who are unable to attend any gatherings in person, the monks are very active on social media, livestreaming and posting multiple times per day.

Their dog, Aloka, who is also making the journey with the monks also has his own social media accounts.