Japan visit: Nitish proposes sister-state pact between Nara and Bodh Gaya

Chief minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday proposed a sister-state twining agreement between Nara prefecture of Japan and Buddhist temple town of Bodh Gaya in Bihar.

Kumar, who is on a four-day visit to Japan, made this proposal to Nara governor Shōgo Arai, who supported the idea and assured to follow it up, an official release in Patna said.

A twin town or sister cities are a form of legal or social agreement between towns, cities, prefectures, provinces, regions, states, and even countries in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.

Both Nara perfecture and Bodh Gaya are centres of Buddhism. Nara played a role as a Buddhist centre before rising to political and social prominence in the 8th century.

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Kumar and Arai discussed the significance of Buddha’s teachings in today’s world and spoke of Buddhism as the common link between Nara and Bihar, specially the various Buddhist sites in Bihar, the release said.

The governor praised Kumar’s visionary leadership for Bihar and the significant development the state had witnessed under his guidance. Kumar thanked the governor for inviting him to the prefecture and facilitating the visit to Todai-ji temple, a UNESCO world heritage site in Nara.

Later, the Nara governor hosted a traditional lunch in Kumar’s honour. The Indian ambassador in Japan was also present during Kumar’s visit to Nara and his meeting with the governor.

Kumar also visited Hiroshima later in the day.