New Delhi: A day before PM Narendra Modi’s visit to Lumbini, Nepal on the occasssion of Buddha Purnima, he stated that India’s ties with Nepal are “unparalleled.” Modi will be looking forward to meeting Nepalese Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba.
In a statement issued Modi stated that after their “productive” discussions held during Deuba’s visit to India, PM Modi now wants to meet the latter for a detailed discussion. He also stated that both sides will continue to build on the shared understanding to expand cooperation in several areas like hydropower, development, and connectivity.
“Our ties with Nepal are unparalleled. The civilizational and people-to-people contacts between India and Nepal form the enduring edifice of our close relationship,” Modi said in his departure statement. “My visit is intended to celebrate and further deepen these time-honored linkages that have been fostered through centuries and recorded in our long history of inter-mingling,” he said.
Narendra Modi will be paying a day-long visit to Lumbini on Monday, May 16, on the occasion of Buddha Purnima. This will be Modi’s sixth visit to Nepal since 2014. During his last visit, Modi paid a visit to two religious and cultural sites namely Janakpur and Muktinath.
“I look forward to offering prayers at the Mayadevi Temple on the auspicious occasion of Buddha Jayanti. I am honoured to follow in the footsteps of millions of Indians to pay reverence at the sacred site of Lord Buddha’s birth,” Modi said.
Modi’s itinerary for Nepal
- At Lumbini, Modi will be visiting the sacred Mayadevi temple to offer prayers.
- He will be delivering a public address at a Buddha Jayanti event organized by the Lumbini Development Trust under the aegis of the Nepalese government.
- He will be participating in the ceremony for the construction of a centre for Buddhist culture and heritage.
- He will also be participating in the “Shilanyas” ceremony for the construction of a center for Buddhist culture and heritage
- Modi will be holding bilateral talks with his Nepalese counterparts, Sher Bahadur Deuba.