PM Modi's Lumbini visit gets momentum

Kathmandu: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's upcoming visit to Nepal's Lumbini, the birthplace of Gautam Buddha, on the occasion of Buddha Purnima has gained momentum. Modi, at the invitation of the UNESCO, is scheduled to visit Lumbini on May 16 to mark the 2,566th birthday of Gautam Buddha.

In 1997, Lumbini, one of the holiest places for Buddhists from all across the world, was declared as UNESCO World Heritage Site. Currently, four helipads are under construction inside the Lumbini area, according to a report carried by Kantipur, the largest daily newspaper of Nepal.

It is said that Modi will land in Lumbini from Kushinagar on board a helicopter. Nepal Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba will also travel to Lumbini on May 16 and inaugurate the Gautam Buddha International Airport. After inaugurating the country's second international airport, Deuba will welcome Modi.

The two leaders will offer prayers in the Maya Devi temple and will lay the foundation of a Buddhist Monastery to be financed by the government of India, the Kantipur report added.