LUMBINI: President Bidya Devi Bhandari said that Lumbini was not only the birth place of Lord Buddha, but also the source of Buddhist philosophy.

Addressing a special function organised to mark the 2560th Buddha Jayanti here on Saturday, President Bhandari said that the teachings of Lord Buddha is still relevant in today's world and urged all to follow Buddha's ideals by mind, words and deed.

She also drew attention of the government towards preserving and promoting the art and history of Buddha's land.

"The master plan for Lumbini development must be implemented as soon as possible to preserve all historical structures and facts related to Buddha," she said.

She also pointed out the need of developing Lumbini as an international tourism destination and make the birthplace of Lord Buddha a must visit place for Buddhists around the world.

On the occasion, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Ananda Prasad Pokharel, made public the 10-point Kathmandu Lumbini Declaration Paper drafted by the two-day International Buddhist Conference held in Kathmandu.

The declaration paper calls for formation of Global Buddhist Forum.