Armed forces personnel from India, Nepal, Sri Lanka to take part in bike expedition from Lumbini to Colombo

Kathmandu [Nepal], August 23 (ANI): Armed force personnel from India, Nepal and Sri Lanka will take part in a bike expedition in October this year along the Buddhist Circuit 'tracing the footsteps of enlightenment.'
Organized jointly by the governments of all three nations and the Royal Thai Monastery, the bike expedition will start from Lumbini, Nepal and end in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
"This is a historical bike expedition between the tri-nations; India, Nepal and Sri Lanka. This is a Buddha Circuit bike expedition starting from Lumbini to Colombo which covers the seven states of India, namely: UP, Bihar, Jharkhand, Bengal, Odisha, Telangana and Tamil Nadu," Rahul Patil, co-convener of the Heartfulness Buddha Circuit Ride told ANI.
"The expedition will be crossing the Indian Ocean supported by Indian Navy, as we reach near Sri Lanka, Jhapana, the team will be welcomed by the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka and we will be driving through Sri Lanka for about 7 days and the closing ceremony will be held in presence of President of Sri Lanka," he added.
The bike ride will start in the second week of October and will be complete by the first week of November. A total of 21 bikers, all from the security forces of three countries will be taking part in the expedition which will cover the major locations relating to Gautam Buddha, the Light of Asia.
Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli will flag off the Heartfulness Bike Expedition from Lumbini, the birthplace of Gautam Buddha, in the second week of October.
The expedition will cover seven states and travel aboard an Indian Navy ship from Chennai to Kankesanthurai in the Jaffna district of Sri Lanka, from where it will traverse through the island nation to its capital Colombo.
As the bikers would drive through various Indian states of India, a welcome and flag-off ceremony has also been planned in the presence of the Chief Ministers of every state. (ANI)