India, Nepal sign 6 MoUs; Our growing ties will benefit humanity, PM Modi says in Lumbini: Key points

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid a day-long visit to Lumbini in Nepal on the occasion of Buddha Purnima on Monday, during which he paid obeisance at Maya Devi temple, laid foundation stone for a Buddhist heritage centre and held bilateral talks with his Nepalese counterpart Sher Bahadur Deuba.
Laying stress on the "timeless bond of friendship between the two countries", he said Lord Buddha is above geopolitical boundaries and that Lord Ram is incomplete without Nepal. "Buddha is for everyone, he belongs to everyone. Even our Lord Ram is incomplete without Nepal," PM Modi said while addressing an event in Lumbini.
During the talks, the two sides agreed in principle to establish sister city relations between Lumbini and Kushinagar in India's Uttar Pradesh, from where Prime Minister Modi and his entourage boarded a special Indian Air Force helicopter for Lumbini.
In pics: PM Modi in Lumbini
Upon his arrival, Prime Minister Modi said on Twitter that he was happy to be among the "wonderful people of Nepal on the special occasion of Buddha Purnima". “Looking forward to the programmes in Lumbini," Prime Minister Modi said.
He was received by Deuba in Lumbini.
“I would like to thank PM @SherBDeuba for the warm welcome in Lumbini,” Modi said in a tweet written in Nepali.

It is the prime minister's fifth visit to Nepal since 2014.
Deuba too reciprocated: "Extremely happy today to welcome PM Modi to this sacred land of Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha - the apostle of peace. Delighted to have the presence of PM Modi at this special ceremony."
Here are the key points of his Nepal tour:
PM Modi offers prayers at Maya Devi temple
PM Modi, who is in the Himalayan nation at the invitation of Deuba, started the trip with a visit to the historic Maya Devi temple, the birth place of Gautam Buddha, the ministry of external affairs (MEA) said in a statement.
PM Modi, accompanied by Nepalese Prime Minister Deuba and his spouse Dr Arzu Rana, offered prayers at the sacred Maya Devi temple on the occasion of Buddha Purnima.
“Beginning the Nepal visit with prayers at the sacred Maya Devi Temple, Lumbini,” the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) tweeted.
Nepal's ministry of foreign affairs also said on Twitter, “On the auspicious occasion of Buddha Purnima, both Prime Ministers offered pooja and prayers at the sacred Mayadevi temple in Lumbini, the birth place of Gautam Buddha.”
The leaders paid their respects at the Marker Stone inside the temple premises, which pinpoints the exact birth spot of Lord Buddha. They attended the pooja conducted as per Buddhist rituals, said the MEA statement.
After the prayers, PM Modi tweeted that he felt blessed to have prayed at the Maya Devi Temple on Buddha Purnima.

The two Prime Ministers also lit lamps near the Ashoka Pillar located adjacent to the temple.
The pillar, which was erected by emperor Ashoka in 249 BC, bears the first epigraphic evidence of Lumbini being the birthplace of Lord Buddha.
Thereafter, the two leaders watered the Bodhi tree sapling from Bodh Gaya, which was gifted by Modi to Lumbini in 2014 and also signed the temple visitor's book.
Later addressing a Buddha Purnima event in Lumbini, PM Modi said the energy of the place where Lord Buddha was born, gives a different feeling. "I was happy to see that the Mahabodhi sapling I had gifted in 2014 for this place, is now growing into a tree."
“A timeless bond of friendship… Prime Ministers @narendramodi and @SherBDeuba at the Maya Devi Temple in Lumbini,” the PMO later tweeted along with a picture of Prime Minister Modi and his Nepalese counterpart Deuba watering the Bodhi tree sapling.

Lumbini, located in the Terai plains of southern Nepal, is one of the holiest places of Buddhism, as Lord Buddha was born there.
Prime Minsiter Modi will later deliver an address at the Buddha Jayanti celebrations organised by the Lumbini Development Trust.
PM Modi lays foundation stone of India International Centre for Buddhist Culture and Heritage
Prime Minister Modi, along with his Nepalese counterpart Deuba on Monday, laid the foundation stone of a centre for Buddhist Culture and heritage within the Lumbini Monastic Zone.
The Prime Minister's Office said this Centre will deepen the cultural and people-to-people linkages between India and Nepal.

The Centre will be constructed by the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC), New Delhi, on a plot allocated by the Lumbini Development Trust (LDT), under an agreement between two signed in March 2022, the MEA said in a statement.
After the shilanyaas ceremony, which was performed by monks belonging to three major Buddhist traditions, Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana, the two PMs also unveiled a model of the centre.
The Centre will be a world-class facility welcoming pilgrims and tourists from all over the world to enjoy the essence of spiritual aspects of Buddhism.
A modern building, net-zero compliant in terms of energy, water and waste handling, it will house prayer halls, meditation centres, library, exhibition hall, cafeteria, offices and other amenities, the MEA added.
Bilateral talks, 6 MoUs signed
After the events, both the prime ministers held bilateral talks, following which six memoranda of understanding (MoUs) were signed.
The MEA tweeted that this was an opportunity to strengthen the ongoing cooperation and develop new areas in "our multifaceted partnership".

The ministry of foreign affairs in Kathmandu announced the singing of the pacts, which included cooperation among the higher educational institutions of the two countries and the state power authorities, after the bilateral talks.
During the meeting, the two PMs recalled their fruitful discussions during the Deuba's official visit to India from April 1-3, the ministry said.
The two also had a broad overview of Nepal-India cooperation and matters of mutual interests with a view to further enhancing the close and cordial ties between the two countries.

After the meeting, Deuba hosted a luncheon in honour of the Indian delegation.
Ahead of his visit, Modi had said that his visit to Nepal is intended to further deepen the "time-honoured" linkages between the two countries, adding both sides will continue to build on the shared understanding to expand ties in multiple areas, including hydropower and connectivity.
"Our ties with Nepal are unparalleled. The civilisational and people-to-people contacts between India and Nepal form the enduring edifice of our close relationship," Modi had said in his departure statement.
'Devotion to Lord Buddha binds us together'
Addressing the Buddha Purnima event in Lumbini, Prime Minister Modi said Buddha is embodiment of the collective understanding of humanity and that the growing and strengthening friendship between India and Nepal will work for its benefit. "Amid the kind of global situation that is emerging today, our deepening friendship will benefit the entire humanity. The devotion to Lord Buddha binds us together, makes us members of one family," PM Modi said at the Buddha Jayanti event.
He emphasised the need to further deepen the relationships between the two countries.
"We have to give our relations the height of Nepal. Festivals, Rituals and even familial relations, the kinds of relationships we have lived in for thousands of years, we have to link them with science, infrastructure and technology as well," he said, highlighting the need to spread the message of Buddhism to the entire world.
China-India influence
Nepal on Monday opened a Chinese-built airport intended to capitalise on Buddhist tourism as India's prime minister landed a few kilometres away to mark the birth, enlightenment and death of the religion's founder.

But Narendra Modi flew by helicopter directly from a nearby Indian airport to the Buddha's birthplace at Lumbini, bypassing the new facility as his Nepali counterpart Sher Bahadur Deuba inaugurated it.
The sequence of events illustrates the competition for influence in the landlocked Himalayan country by its two giant neighbours.
(With inputs from agencies)