Nepalese President Bidya Devi Bhandari will be on a five-day visit to India from Monday. Bhandari was scheduled to visit India in May last year, but her trip was cancelled after the then Cabinet in Nepal did not endorse her programme citing lack of preparations on the part of the Government. This is her first State visit abroad after assuming the office in October 2015.
“A high-level delegation comprising Minister, MPs and senior officials will be accompanying her. Bhandari’s visit will reflect the priority that India attaches to further strengthening the age-old and unique partnership with Nepal, shared cultural and historical linkages and strong people-and-people relationship,” Joint Secretary (North) in the External Affairs Ministry Sudhakar Dalela said on Sunday while announcing the President’s visit.
During her visit this time, Bhandari will meet the top leaders of Indian Government and visit temples in Dwarka and Somnath temples in Gujarat and Puri in Odisha. President Pranab Mukherjee will host a banquet in her honour on April 18.
Bhandari’s visit last year in May was cancelled by the then Nepali PM KP Sharma Oli led cabinet meeting giving clear indication of turbulence in bilateral relations following Madhesi agitation and subsequent blockade which halted the supply of essential goods to landlocked Nepal from India. However, with the relationship is back to normal under the regime of new PM Pushp Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, the high level visits between India and Nepal have increased.