Foundation stone of India International Centre for Buddhist Culture and Heritage at Lumbini

Tags: International News

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi along with the Prime Minister of Nepal, Shri Sher Bahadur Deoba, laid the foundation stone for the construction of the India International Center for Buddhist Culture and Heritage at Lumbini Monastery Area, Lumbini, Nepal.

• The centre will be constructed by International Buddhist Association (IBC), New Delhi on a plot of Lumbini Development Trust (LDT), which was allotted to IBC under an agreement signed between IBC and LDT in March, 2022.

• The two prime ministers also unveiled a model of the centre after the foundation stone was laid by monks from three major Buddhist traditions, Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana.

• It will be a modern building that will meet NetZero standards in terms of energy, water and waste management and will also house a prayer hall, meditation centre, library, exhibition hall, cafeteria, offices and other facilities. 

• About Lumbini -

• Lumbini is the birth place of Lord Buddha.

• It is located in Nepal.

• In the Ashoka Pillar established by Emperor Ashoka at this place, there is an inscription describing the birth place of Buddha in Brahmi scripted Prakrit language.

• This place is one of the four major Buddhist pilgrimage sites in the world. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.