The 3rd edition of the India-Nepal Cultural Festival starts today in Lumbini, organised by the Embassy of India in Kathmandu, ICCR and Lumbini Buddhist University. Lumbini is a profound symbol of the shared civilisational heritage between India and Nepal. For India, Lumbini in Nepal is the birthplace of Buddha and a spiritual extension of the broader Buddhist landscape that includes Bodh Gaya, Sarnath and Kushinagar.
A symposium is organised in Lumbini to honour shared Buddhist heritage as one pillar of India-Nepal friendship, fostering people-to-people connectivity and a shared vision rooted in Buddhist philosophy of Metta, Shanti, Karuna and Dharma. Professor Tika Ram Acharya, Registrar of Lumbini Buddhist University, shared that the Academic symposium acts as a Bridge between the two nations for scholarly exchange, enhancing the cultural relationship that is ancient and enduring.
Professor Shubhra Barua Pavagadhi of Delhi University emphasised that the Buddhist heritage between India and Nepal is a living philosophy that is a gift to global peace and understanding. Emperor Ashoka’s pilgrimage in 249 Bc to all places with Buddha relics shows cross-border diplomacy in ancient India.
Other scholars of Buddhist Studies shared their insight into the Buddhist legacy between the two neighbours in view of architecture, Monasteries and the spiritual aspect.
