KATHMANDU: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has received Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Janaki Temple in Janakpurdham today.
The Indian PM, following a short exchange og greetings with PM Oli, took part in the Shodashopachara Pooja. This worship ceremony – with sixteen ritualistic services including tantric mantra recitation – is carried out only by special guests at the Janaki Temple.
According to the temple’s priest Ramatpeshwar Das Vaishnav, prior to this, the worship ceremony was carried out by visiting Indian Presidents Neelam Sanjiva Reddy, Gyani Zail Singh and Pranab Mukherjee. Modi is the first Indian Prime Minister to hold such a worship at the temple.
During the pooja ceremony, Indian PM Modi worshipped the idol of Hindu Goddess Sita along with the idols of Lord Ram, Laxman and Hanuman at Vivaha Mandap.
Following the ceremony, the visiting Prime Minister and the Prime Minister jointly inaugurated the Ramayana Circuit Ayodhya-Janakpur Bus Route.
Earlier, both the PMs addressed a short event that preceded the inauguration ceremony.