Buddhist culture centre to be a common India-Nepal link: PM Modi

Lumbini [Nepal], May 16 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that the India International Centre for Buddhist Culture and Heritage whose foundation stone was laid today will be an important place for learning and cultural exchanges between the two countries.
"The India International Centre for Buddhist Culture and Heritage in the Lumbini Monastic Zone will be an important centre for learning and cultural exchanges between India and Nepal. Honoured to have performed the Shilanyas for the Centre with PM @SherBDeuba," PM Modi said in a tweet.
"Most importantly, the Centre will strengthen the shared bond of Buddhism between India and Nepal. It will also further popularise the teachings and noble ideals of Lord Buddha," he added.
PM Modi made the remarks at the conclusion of a day-long visit to Nepal during the course of which he held bilateral talks with his counterpart Sher Bahadur Deuba, offered prayers at the Mayadevi temple in Lumbini, and also addressed a gathering of monks, Buddhist scholars, and international participants on the occasion of Buddha Purnima celebrations.
PM Modi, along with Nepal PM Sher Bahadur Deuba, performed the foundation stone laying ceremony for the construction of the India International Centre for Buddhist Culture and Heritage in the Lumbini Monastic Zone earlier today.
"Pleased to join Shree @narendramodi Jee in laying the foundation stone for the construction of the International Center for Buddhist Culture and Heritage in Lumbini on #BuddhaPurnima," Nepal PM Deuba said in a tweet.
The Centre 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 this year.
Once completed, the Centre will be a world-class facility welcoming pilgrims and tourists from all over the world to enjoy the essence of the spiritual aspects of Buddhism. It will be a modern building, NetZero compliant in terms of energy, water, and waste handling, and will house prayer halls, meditation centres, library, exhibition hall, cafeteria, offices, and other amenities, a Ministry of External Statement (MEA) informed. (ANI)