Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday autographed a sketch depicting him and Lord Buddha, as he received a warm welcome by the Indian community in Nepal’s Lumbini.
In a video shared by news agency ANI, PM Modi was seen signing a sketch of himself and Lord Buddha while people gathered around him chanted “Vande Mataram” slogans.
#WATCH , PM Modi autographs a sketch depicting him and Lord Buddha, as he receives a warm welcome by the Indian community in Lumbini, Nepal pic.twitter.com/UgDYGjjU1O
— ANI (@ANI) May 16, 2022
While the PM interacted with people of the Indian community gathered for his welcome, some offered him bouquets and others touched his feet.
Meanwhile, the prime minister and his Nepalese counterpart, Sher Bahadur Deuba, performed the shilanyas ceremony for the India International Center for Buddhist Culture and Heritage in the Lumbini Monastic Zone.
Prime Ministers @narendramodi and @SherBDeuba take part in the Shilanyas program for the India International Center for Buddhist Culture and Heritage in the Lumbini Monastic Zone. This Center will deepen the cultural and people-to-people linkages between India and Nepal. pic.twitter.com/n5TLc1iDUM
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) May 16, 2022
The Center will be constructed by the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC), New Delhi, on a plot allocated to IBC by the Lumbini Development Trust (LDT), under an agreement between IBC and LDT signed in March 2022, the Ministry of External Affairs ( MEA) said in a statement.
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, he said.
Once completed, the center 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 building will be modern and NetZero compliant in terms of energy, water and waste handling and will house prayer halls, meditation centers, a library, an exhibition hall, cafeteria, offices and other amenities, the MEA added.
(With agency input)
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