NEPAL:NEPAL: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Nepalese counterpart Sher Bahadur Deuba held the shilanyaas ceremony at the Lumbini Monastic Zone here on Monday for the development of the India International Centre for Buddhist Culture and Heritage.

The International Buddhist Confederation (IBC), New Delhi, will construct the Centre on a plot given to IBC by the Lumbini Development Trust (LDT) under an agreement made in March 2022, according to a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

The two Prime Ministers also unveiled a model of the Centre after the shilanyaas ceremony, which was performed by monks from three major Buddhist traditions, Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana, he said.

When finished, the Centre will be a world-class facility that will welcome pilgrims and visitors from all over the world to experience the essence of Buddhist spirituality.

Prayer halls, meditation centres, libraries, exhibition halls, cafeterias, offices, and other amenities will be housed in the new structure, which will be NetZero compliant in terms of energy, water, and waste treatment, according to the MEA.

President, Vice President, PM Modi greet people of Sikkim on Statehood Day

PM Modi to leave for Lumbini today, greets people on Buddha Purnima

PM Modi congratulates Manik Saha on taking oath as Tripura Chief Minister