KATHMANDU, MAY 12
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Lumbini on May 16 at the invitation of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba to attend a special ceremony on the auspicious occasion of Buddha Jayanti.
According to a press release issued by Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Modi and Deuba will participate in a prayer at Mayadevi temple, lay foundation stone for the construction of a centre for Buddhist culture and heritage at the Monastic Zone in Lumbini, and address a special ceremony to be organised to celebrate Buddha Jayanti at the Lumbini International Buddhist Meditation Centre and Assembly Hall.
While in Lumbini, the two prime ministers will hold bilateral talks and exchange views on Nepal-India cooperation and matters of mutual interest.
Deuba will host a luncheon in honour of his Indian counterpart and the visiting delegation. Later, Modi will meet Nepal's Foreign Minister Narayan Khadka.
MoFA stated that Modi's upcoming visit would contribute to further strengthening bilateral relations and the age-old socio-cultural bonds between the two countries. This will be Modi's fifth visit to Nepal after he became India's PM in May 2014.
Meanwhile, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs issued a press release saying that Modi would address a Buddha Jayanti event organised by the Lumbini Development Trust under the aegis of the Government of Nepal.
He will also participate in the inauguration ceremony for the construction of a centre for Buddhist culture and heritage on a plot belonging to the International Buddhist Confederation, New Delhi, within the Lumbini Monastic Zone.
India's MEA added that Modi's visit continued the tradition of regular high-level exchanges between India and Nepal in furtherance of India's neighbourhood first policy. It underscores the shared civilisational heritage of peoples of both countries.
A version of this article appears in the print on May 13, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
