Kathmandu: Ahead of his visit to Lumbini in Nepal on the occasion of Buddha Purnima, Prime minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said India’s ties with the neighbouring country are “unparalleled”. In a statement, Modi said he will be visiting Nepal on Monday at the invitation of his counterpart Sher Bahadur Deuba.
During his visit, Modi is set to meet Nepali counterpart Sher Bahadur Deuba for bilateral talks. This will be Modi’s fifth visit to Nepal since 2014.
“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,” the statement read.
I will be visiting Lumbini, Nepal on 16 May 2022 at the invitation of the Rt Hon’ble Sher Bahadur Deuba, Prime Minister of Nepal.
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.
I also look forward to meeting Prime Minister Deuba again after our productive discussions during his visit to India last month. We will continue to build on our shared understanding to expand cooperation in multiple areas, including in hydropower, development and connectivity.
Apart from visiting the holy Mayadevi Temple, I will be participating in “Shilanyas” ceremony of the India International Centre for Buddhist Culture & Heritage in the Lumbini Monastic Zone. I will also be attending celebrations to mark the occasion of Buddha Jayanti organised by the Government of Nepal.
Our ties with Nepal are unparalleled. The civilisational and people-to-people contacts between India and Nepal form the enduring edifice of our close relationship. My visit is intended to celebrate and further deepen these time-honoured linkages that have been fostered through centuries and recorded in our long history of inter-mingling.
