Kathmandu, May 16
On Monday, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Lumbini for the first time to
celebrate Buddha Jayanti.
An Indian Air Force helicopter is scheduled to land in Lumbini in the morning from Kushinagar, India. This is the first time an Indian Prime Minister has visited Lumbini.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur arrived in Lumbini to meet Modi. After spending
roughly six hours in Lumbini, Modi is due to return to India on Monday. Bilateral discussions at the Prime Ministerial and delegation levels, as well as the laying of the foundation stone for Buddha Bihar, are scheduled for the visit.
Modi is expected to arrive at Lumbini around 10.40 a.m. In Lumbini, he will be greeted by
Foreign Minister Dr. Narayan Khadka, Foreign Secretary Bharatraj Poudyal, and other top
authorities.
After that, he’ll arrive at Mayadevi temple at 11 a.m., when Deuba will greet him once more. After the Prime Ministers of both nations pay tribute at the Mayadevi Temple jointly, the International Buddhist Confederation of India (IBC) will lay the foundation stone for Buddhist Bihar. According to Saroj Bhattarai, the fund’s executive director, the Buddhist Bihar to be built by IBC would cost Rs 1.6 billion.
After that, Modi will rest from onwards 12:15 at the Pawan Hotel. Foreign Minister Narayan
Khadka will pay a courtesy visit there. Prime Minister Deuba and Modi will hold bilateral meetings at the same hotel at 12.30 p.m., followed by delegation-level talks at 1.45 p.m. The Prime Ministers of Nepal and India have made preparations to discuss mutual goals and sign certain agreements.
Following that, Prime Minister Deuba will host a luncheon for Modi. Modi will attend meetings and conversations with leaders for a few hours after the meal, followed by a news conference. They will next attend the 2,566th Buddha Jayanti major celebration, which will begin at 3 p.m. in the newly constructed 5,000-capacity meeting hall in Lumbini. He’ll also speak during the inaugural Buddha Jayanti commemorations.
Modi is set to fly back to Kushinagar, India, at 5 p.m. today aboard an Indian Air Force jet.
Since Modi’s arrival, security has been increased in Lumbini. In Lumbini, Indian and Nepali security officers are monitoring together.
For Karuna Thapa
