Visiting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Nepali counterpart Sher Bahadur Deuba on Monday jointly laid the foundation stone of the India International Centre for Buddhist Culture and Heritage in Lumbini. Modi arrived in Lumbini, the birthplace of Gautam Buddha and a Unesco World Heritage Site, earlier in the day and offered prayers at famous Maya Devi temple to mark the occasion of Buddha Purnima. Along with Deuba, Modi also participated in the "Shilanyas" ceremony for the construction of the unique centre within the Lumbini Monastic Zone. The centre is being built at the initiative of the International Buddhist Confederation, New Delhi.
The construction will be undertaken by the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC), India, under the auspices of the Lumbini Development Trust with the financial support of the Union Ministry of Culture. The IBC is a Grantee Body under the Ministry. The centre will be the first eNet Zero Emission' building in Nepal. Later, Prime Minister Modi will also deliver an address at a Buddha Jayanti event organised by the Lumbini Development Trust.