New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will pay an official visit to Lumbini on 16 May on the occasion of Buddha Purnima at the invitation of the Nepalese Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, the MEA said on Thursday. The visit reinforces Buddhism's links with the Himalayan nation and promotes India's soft power diplomacy.
This will be Prime Minister’s fifth visit to Nepal since 2014. At Lumbini, Prime Minister will visit the sacred Mayadevi temple to offer prayers. He will also deliver an address at a Buddha Jayanti event organized by the Lumbini Development Trust under the aegis of the Government of Nepal.
Separately, Prime Minister will participate in the "Shilanyas” ceremony for the construction of a center for Buddhist culture and heritage, in a plot belonging to the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC), New Delhi within the Lumbini Monastic Zone. Both Prime Ministers will hold a bilateral meeting.
Prime Minister Modi’s visit continues the tradition of regular high-level exchanges between India and Nepal in furtherance of India's Neighbourhood First policy. It underscores the shared civilizational heritage of the people of both countries.
India attaches great importance to Buddhism and the country's Buddhist diplomacy is known worldwide. Most importantly, the Buddhist faith originated in India and the country possesses numerous sites of importance to the Buddhist faith, such as Bodh Gaya, Nalanda, etc.
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