A huge Buddhist gathering was held in the summer of 1994 at the Manjushri Centre at Conishead Priory.

The festival, on the Furness peninsula near Ulverston, was due to be attended by people from as far afield as Brazil and Mexico.

The event would have an international feel and spokesperson Jim Belither estimated 250 visitors would be travelling from abroad, with a delegation of 50 arriving at Conishead from Switzerland.

GATHERING: The festival drew a huge number of visitors to the festival

GATHERING: The festival drew a huge number of visitors to the festival

To cope with the influx of guests, the Buddhist centre had hired a 1,000-seat marquee and dormitory tents to accommodate several hundred people.

The Mail reported that, in the first week, the less-experienced Buddhist students would embark on an introduction to the religion, but during the second week everyone would be taking part in daily meditation.

This would take the form of chanting in full voice and in silence.

BED: Some of the sleeping quarters during the festival in 1994 which accommodated the influx of visitors

BED: Some of the sleeping quarters during the festival in 1994 which accommodated the influx of visitors

Mr Belither said: “This is the third consecutive festival we have held, but this is the largest yet, and could even be the largest gathering held in Britain to date.”

The Mail’s Anne Benson visited the festival and wrote a special feature. She said more than 800 people had gathered.

ARRANGING: Kelsang Dekyong helps put out some of the seats to accommodate the visitors at the festival in 1994

ARRANGING: Kelsang Dekyong helps put out some of the seats to accommodate the visitors at the festival in 1994

She described how the smell of incense and the sound of chanting wafted through the air.

People lounged in the grass, sat on garden walls or wandered about chatting to each other.

She said: “It feels as if you had stumbled on a large gathering of friends having fun in the sun.”

RELAX: Quiet contemplation among a garden full of tents, where visitors bedded down in sleeping bags at night during the festival

RELAX: Quiet contemplation among a garden full of tents, where visitors bedded down in sleeping bags at night during the festival

Kelsang Jigme added: “It’s like a big family get together as well as a chance of seeing new faces.”

Anne wrote that behind the simplicity and tradition of peace and harmony was a slick administrative operation.

For example, in one corner of an office a monk was using desktop publishing to print chants, while on the table was a bundle of laser-printed stickers – reminders to be quiet when meditation was happening.