I know when a grand temple of Shri Ram is being built in India, people of Nepal are equally happy: Modi
India and Nepal on Monday explored ways to further strengthen their historical ties with Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying that the growing friendship between the two countries will work for the benefit of the entire humanity amid the kind of global situation emerging today.
On a day-long visit to the Himalayan nation at the invitation of his Nepalese counterpart Sher Bahadur Deuba on the occasion of Buddha Purnima, Modi also said the relations between India and Nepal are unshakeable like the Himalayas.
After offering prayers at the Maya Devi temple in Lumbini on the occasion of the Budhha Purnima, the PM said, “The devotion to Lord Buddha binds us together, makes us members of one family.”
“India and Nepal’s ever-strengthening friendship and our closeness will benefit the entire humanity in the kind of global conditions that are emerging,” Modi said. He was addressing the International Buddhist Conference in Lumbini. Located in the Terai plains of southern Nepal, Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha, is one of the holiest places of Buddhism.
The Prime Minister also said, “I know that today when a grand temple of Lord Shri Ram is being built in India, the people of Nepal are equally happy.”
Modi attended the 2,566th Buddha Jayanti Celebration at International Convention Center and Meditation Hall accompanied by Deuba and his spouse Arzu Rana Deuba. Several Nepalese Ministers were among the other dignitaries present.
“Buddha is the embodiment of the collective understanding of humanity,” Modi told the gathering that included monks, Buddhist scholars and international participants.
He also noted, "The energy of the place where Lord Buddha was born, gives a different feeling. I was happy to see that the Mahabodhi sapling I had gifted in 2014 for this place is now growing into a tree."
Deuba said he was extremely happy to welcome PM Modi to the sacred land of Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha -- the apostle of peace.
"Delighted to have the presence of PM Modi at this special ceremony in this sacred land," he said.
Earlier, Modi held bilateral talks with his Nepalese counterpart at Lumbini. It was Modi's fifth visit to Nepal since 2014. The two leaders later discussed ways to strengthen ongoing cooperation and develop new areas in the multifaceted bilateral partnership.
The two sides inked and exchanged six MoUs on cooperation in cultural and educational sectors. These included the construction of the Lumbini Museum in Nepal, and the establishment of the Dr Ambedkar Chair for Buddhist Studies in Lumbini Buddhist University.
Ahead of his visit, Modi had said his visit to Nepal was intended to further deepen the "time-honoured" linkages between the two countries, adding both sides will continue to build on the shared understanding to expand ties in multiple areas, including hydropower and connectivity.
"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," Modi had said in his departure statement.
Modi along with Deuba also laid the foundation stone for the India International Centre for Buddhist Culture and Heritage in the Lumbini Monastic Zone here. The Centre will be a world-class facility welcoming pilgrims and tourists from all over the world to enjoy the essence of spiritual aspects of Buddhism.
The Centre will be a modern building, NetZero compliant in terms of energy, water and waste handling, and will house prayer halls, meditation centres, library, exhibition hall, cafeteria, offices and other amenities, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.
The Centre will be constructed by the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC), New Delhi, on a plot allocated to the IBC by the Lumbini Development Trust (LDT), under an agreement between the IBC and the LDT signed in March 2022, it said.
After the "shilanyaas" ceremony, which was performed by monks belonging to three major Buddhist traditions, Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana, the two Prime Ministers also unveiled a model of the Centre.
Earlier in the day, Modi offered prayers at the sacred Maya Devi temple and said he felt blessed, hoping that Lord Buddha would bless all and make the planet peaceful and prosperous.
The two Prime Ministers also lit lamps near the Ashoka Pillar located adjacent to the temple. The pillar, which was erected by emperor Ashoka in 249 BC, bears the first epigraphic evidence of Lumbini being the birthplace of Lord Buddha.
According to official sources, the significance of Prime Minister Modi laying the foundation stone of the Centre for Buddhist Culture was that India, despite being one of the main centres of Buddhism in the world, had so far no centre or project in Lumbini.
Countries like Thailand, Canada, Cambodia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Singapore, France, Germany, Japan, Vietnam, Austria, China, South Korea and the US are all represented by Centres of projects in the Monastic Zone, they said.
Under the Lumbini Master Plan of the Government of Nepal, approved in 1978, the Lumbini Monastic Zone came into being as a place housing Buddhist monasteries and projects from various denominations and countries.
For the last three decades, while countries sought and received parcels of land within the Zone, India had no presence there. Time was also running out as only two plots of land remained vacant as per the original master plan.
Under Prime Minister Modi's Government, the issue was raised at the highest level with Nepal. As a result of constant follow-up and positive efforts from both the Governments, in November 2021, the Lumbini Development Trust allocated a plot (80 meters x 80 meters) to build a project, the sources said.