PM Modi says 'Nepal citizens equally happy on Ram Mandir being built' during Lumbini visit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is in Nepal at the invitation of his Nepali counterpart Sher Bahadur Deuba on a day-long visit to Lumbini on the occasion of Buddha Purnima, said that he is fortunate to be at the pilgrimage site. He also said that the people of the Himalayan nation are equally happy with the construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.

"In Janakpur I had said that 'Our Ram is also incomplete without Nepal'. I know that today when a grand temple of Lord Shri Ram is being built in India, the people of Nepal are equally happy," PM Modi said.

On New Delhi-Kathmandu relations, PM Modi said, "The growing and strengthening friendship between India & Nepal will work for the benefit of entire humanity amid the kind of global situation that is emerging today. The devotion to Lord Buddha binds us together, makes us members of one family."

He said that the place where Lord Buddha was born gave a different feeling and he is happy to see that the Mahabodhi sapling he gifted in 2014 is now turning into a tree.

"The opportunity that I got to visit the Mayadevi temple is also unforgettable for me. The place where Lord Buddha himself took birth, the energy there, the consciousness there, it is a different feeling," PM Modi said.

The Prime Minister stressed that the Buddha is the embodiment of the collective understanding of humanity. "There is also Buddha enlightenment, and there is also Buddha research. There are Buddha thoughts, and there are Buddha sacraments too," he said.

He said that the construction of the Lumbini Museum in Nepal is an example of joint cooperation between the two countries. "Today we also decided to establish Dr Ambedkar Chair for Buddhist Studies at Lumbini Buddhist University," PM Modi added.

PM Modi shares his special connection to Lord Buddha

Prime Minister Modi also shared his special connection to Lord Buddha. Calling it a wonderful and pleasant coincidence, he said that the place he was born, Vadnagar in Gujarat, was a great centre of Buddhist learning centuries ago. "Even today, ancient remains are coming out there, whose conservation work is going on," he said.

Earlier in the day, PM Modi held bilateral talks with Deuba and discussed ways to strengthen ongoing cooperation and develop new areas in the multifaceted bilateral partnership. The two sides also signed six Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) on cooperation in cultural and educational sectors.