KABUL: Afghanistan commemorated the two decades since the Taliban destroyed the two giant Buddha statues in Bamiyan province, with a pledge to preserve the world's cultural heritages.

20 years after being blasted out of Afghanistan's rugged central highlands, one of the country's famed Buddha statues made a brief virtual return Tuesday night as a three-dimensional projection filled the alcove that hosted the statue for centuries.

Reportedly built in the sixth century, the destruction of the 55-meter-tall and 38-meter-tall statues by the Taliban militants in March 2001 has been condemned globally.

Rahmati pledged that his provincial administration is committed to preserving and repairing all the historical monuments and cultural heritages in Bamiyan province with the support of national and international agencies.

To pay tribute to the destroyed Buddhas and denounce the destroyers, hundreds of people including boys and girls held a lantern-lit procession, which led to the front of the destroyed Buddhas cliff on Tuesday evening.

The participants at the procession also arranged a 3D projector to return the destroyed Buddha to the spectators and those gathered to denounce the monuments' destruction.

Expressing dismay over the demolition, the participants called upon the Taliban to preserve cultural heritages, besides urging the government and the world community to help rebuild the destroyed Buddhas.

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