New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will pay an official visit to Lumbini on May 16, on the occasion of Buddha Purnima at the invitation of Nepalese PM Sher Bahadur Deuba. 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. Prime Minister will also deliver an address at a Buddha Jayanti event organised by the Lumbini Development Trust under the aegis of the Nepalese Government.
Separately, he will participate in the “Shilanyas” (foundation stone laying) ceremony for the construction of a centre 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 also hold a bilateral meeting.
PM Modi’s visit continues the tradition of regular high-level exchanges between India and Nepal in furtherance of our Neighbourhood First policy. It underscores the shared civilisational heritage of the people of both countries, stated an MEA release.