Lumbini: Minister Narendra Modi lays the foundation stone for the construction of a unique centre for Buddhist Culture and Heritage within the Lumbini Monastic Zone during his official visit to Nepal’s Lumbini on Monday on the occasion of Vaishakha Buddha Purnima, informed the Ministry of Culture. At Lumbini, the Prime Minister will visit the sacred Mayadevi temple to offer prayers. Prime Minister will also deliver an address at a Buddha Jayanti event organized by the Lumbini Development Trust under the aegis of the Government of Nepal, said the ministry in its press release.
The construction of the unique “India International Centre for Buddhist Culture & Heritage” with a universal appeal will be undertaken by the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC), India under the auspices of the Lumbini Development Trust with the financial support of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. Buddhist Confederation is a grantee body under the Ministry of Culture.
The Buddhist Centre will be the first “Net Zero Emission” building in Nepal. Also, on the occasion, the Ministry of Culture in collaboration with the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC)is hosting a colourful programme for the Vaishakha Buddha Purnima Divas celebrations in New Delhi.
The highlight will be the screening of a film on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s foundation-stone laying ceremony, earlier in the day for the Centre for Buddhist Culture and Heritage at Lumbini, Nepal. The event will start at 2:00 pm with chanting from various Buddhist sites played on the screen.
The Chief Guest, for the event, will be Kiren Rijiju, Minister of Law and Justice, Government of India, while the Guest of Honour will be G. Kishan Reddy, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), Government of India with Arjun Ram Meghwal, Minister of State for Culture as special guest, as per the press release. The significance of the timing of the Prime Minister’s visit to Nepal is to coincide with the inauguration of the Lumbini Buddhist Centre with the Holy Vaishakha Buddha Purnima Divas.