Alexandria will recognize a group of Buddhist monks on a 2,300-mile journey to D.C. on Monday as they near the end of their months-long “Walk for Peace.”
The group of monks, who began their pilgrimage on Oct. 26, 2025, at a Vietnamese Buddhist temple in Texas, are expected to pass through Old Town on Monday and interact with passersby at Christ Church (118 N. Washington Street) around noon.
The monks, joined by their rescue dog, Aloka, are traveling to D.C. to ask Congress to recognize Buddha’s day of birth and enlightenment as a federal holiday. Beyond promoting peace, their highest priority is connecting with people along the way.
While in Alexandria, Mayor Alyia Gaskins “will briefly present the monks with a City proclamation recognizing their message of peace and compassion,” according to the city.
In their flowing saffron and ocher robes, the men are walking for peace. It’s a meditative tradition more common in South Asian countries, and it’s resonating now in the U.S., seemingly as a welcome respite from the conflict, trauma and politics dividing the nation.
“My hope is, when this walk ends, the people we met will continue practicing mindfulness and find peace,” said the Venerable Bhikkhu Pannakara, the group’s soft-spoken leader who is making the trek barefoot. He teaches about mindfulness, forgiveness and healing at every stop.
The Walk for Peace live map shows where the monks are expected to travel each day.
What to know
People hoping to observe the Walk for Peace can line the route, detailed below, or gather at Christ Church, where the monks will address attendees at around noon.
In the early afternoon, the monks are expected to deliver brief remarks at Marymount University’s North Arlington campus with the university’s president, Irma Becerra.
The City of Alexandria will manage public safety and traffic as the monks traverse through the city. Their route through Alexandria begins at the city line at S. Washington and Church streets, proceeding north along S. Washington Street through Old Town to Christ Church.
The Alexandria Police Department has shared the following route and itinerary:
- Enter Alexandria at the City line at the 1200 block of S. Washington St.
- Continue on Northbound S. Washington St. through Old Town to Christ Church
- Christ Church (Cameron St. & N. Washington St.)
- A peace talk will be held at Christ Church, 118 N. Washington St., Alexandria, VA, 22314. Following a brief rest and lunch break, the monks will address attendees at approximately 12 p.m. This time is fluid based on the Monks’ walking pace, rest needs, and any unscheduled stops.
- Members of the public are welcome to gather outside Christ Church to listen to the monks’ message of peace. Remarks are expected to last approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour. No additional public events are planned to follow the conclusion of the remarks.
- North on N. Washington Street from Christ Church
- West on Montgomery St.
- North on Route 1/N. Patrick St. To S. Glebe Rd.
- Departing Alexandria, the group will continue into Arlington County via Route 1.
Increased pedestrian activity in the area is expected from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday. Crowds, rolling street closures and temporary road restrictions are anticipated to “significantly affect resident and vehicle access, deliveries, and travel within and around Old Town” during the event.
According to the APD, these roads will be closed from approximately 6:15 a.m. until 2 p.m.
- Cameron Street between Washington and Alfred streets
- Columbus Street between King and Queen streets
From approximately 9 a.m.-2 p.m., “vehicles may be temporarily restricted from entering, exiting, or moving within impacted areas.” Vehicles unable to move due to weather conditions won’t be ticketed or towed.
“We appreciate your patience and cooperation as the City welcomes this meaningful event,” the city wrote. “Updates will be shared through City communication channels as needed.”
More details are available on the city’s website.
About the group
Preferring to sleep each night in tents pitched outdoors, the monks have been surprised to see their message transcend ideologies, drawing huge crowds into churchyards, city halls and town squares across six states. Documenting their journey on social media, they and Aloka have racked up millions of followers online.
Hailing from Theravada Buddhist monasteries across the globe, the 19 monks began their 2,300-mile trek at the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center in Fort Worth.
Their journey has not been without peril. On Nov. 19, as the monks were walking along U.S. Highway 90 near Dayton, Texas, their escort vehicle was hit by a distracted truck driver, injuring two monks. One of them lost his leg, reducing the group to 18.
Long Si Dong, a spokesperson for the Fort Worth temple, said the monks, when they arrive in Washington, plan to seek recognition of Vesak, the day which marks the birth and enlightenment of the Buddha, as a national holiday.
“Doing so would acknowledge Vesak as a day of reflection, compassion and unity for all people regardless of faith,” he said.
But Pannakara emphasized that their main goal is to help people achieve peace in their lives. The trek is also a separate endeavor from a $200 million campaign to build towering monuments on the temple’s 14-acre property to house the Buddha’s teachings engraved in stone, according to Dong.
The monks practice and teach Vipassana meditation, an ancient Indian technique taught by the Buddha himself as core for attaining enlightenment. It focuses on the mind-body connection — observing breath and physical sensations to understand reality, impermanence and suffering. Some of the monks, including Pannakara, walk barefoot to feel the ground directly and be present in the moment.
Pannakara has told the gathered crowds that they don’t aim to convert people to Buddhism.
Brooke Schedneck, professor of religion at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee, said the tradition of a peace walk in Theravada Buddhism began in the 1990s when the Venerable Maha Ghosananda, a Cambodian monk, led marches across war-torn areas riddled with landmines to foster national healing after civil war and genocide in his country.
“These walks really inspire people and inspire faith,” Schedneck said. “The core intention is to have others watch and be inspired, not so much through words, but through how they are willing to make this sacrifice by walking and being visible.”
Last month, Becki Gable drove nearly 400 miles from Cullman, Alabama, to catch up with them in Saluda. Raised Methodist, Gable said she wanted some release from the pain of losing her daughter and parents.
“I just felt in my heart that this would help me have peace,” she said. “Maybe I could move a little bit forward in my life.”
Gable says she has already taken one of Pannakara’s teachings to heart. She’s promised herself that each morning, as soon as she awakes, she’d take a piece of paper and write five words on it, just as the monk prescribed.
“Today is my peaceful day.”
