Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Uttar Pradesh today to inaugurate various development works in Kushinagar that further the ‘Ease of Living’ and will mark the special Abhidhamma Day.
At around 10 AM, the Prime Minister will inaugurate the Kushinagar International Airport. Kushinagar is the place where Gautam Buddha attained Mahaparinirvana.
At around 11.30 AM, Mr Modi will participate in an event marking Abhidhamma Day at Mahaparinirvana Temple. At around 1.15 PM, the Prime Minister will attend a public function to inaugurate and lay the foundation stones of various development projects in Kushinagar.
The inauguration of the Kushinagar International Airport will be marked by the landing of the inaugural flight at the airport from Colombo in Sri Lanka, carrying Sri lankan delegation of over hundred Buddhist Monks and dignitaries, including the 12-member Holy Relic entourage bringing the Holy Buddha Relics for Exposition. The delegation also comprises, Anunayakas (deputy heads) of all four Nikatas (orders) of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, Asgiriya, Amarapura, Ramanya, Malwatta as well as five Ministers of the Government of Sri Lanka led by Cabinet Minister Namal Rajapakshe.
Kushinagar is an important part of Budha circuit and the international airport will prove game changer in the development of the place.
The Kushinagar International Airport has been built at an estimated cost of 260 crore rupees. It will facilitate domestic and international pilgrims to visit the Mahaparinirvana Sthal of Lord Buddha and is an endeavour in connecting the Buddhist pilgrimage holy sites around the world. The airport will serve nearby districts of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar and is an important step in boosting the investment and employment opportunities in the region.
The Prime Minister will visit the Mahaparinirvana temple, offer Archana and Chivar to the reclining statue of Lord Buddha and also plant a Bodhi tree sapling. Mr Modi will participate in an event, organised to mark Abhidhamma Day. The day symbolises the end of three-month rainy retreat – Varshavaas or Vassa – for the Buddhist Monks, during which they stay at one place in vihara and monastery and pray. The event will also be attended by eminent Monks from Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar, South Korea, Nepal, Bhutan and Cambodia, as well as Ambassadors of various countries.
Mr Modi will also walk through the exhibition of Paintings of Ajanta frescos, Buddhist Sutra Calligraphy and Buddhist artefacts excavated from Vadnagar and other sites in Gujarat.
The Prime Minister will participate in a public function at Barwa Jangal in Kushinagar. In the event, he will lay the foundation stone of Rajkiya Medical College at Kushinagar which will be built at a cost of over 280 crore rupees. The Medical college will have a 500-bed hospital and provide admissions to 100 students in MBBS course in academic session 2022-2023. Mr Modi will also inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of 12 development projects worth over 180 crore rupees on this occasion.
In a tweet, the Prime Minister said, today is a special day for our infrastructure and civil aviation sector. He said, the Kushinagar International Airport will benefit Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Mr Modi also said that it is government’s constant endeavour to boost medical related infrastructure across the nation. He said, in Kushinagar, nine medical colleges will be either dedicated to the nation or their foundation stones would be laid.
As per the schedule released by the district administration, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will reach Kushinagar by his chartered flight at 10 O’clock in the morning. Here, he will inaugurate Kushinagar International Airport. By 11.15 AM, the Prime Minister will reach second venue at Mahaparinirvana Temple, where he will spend around an hour. Here, the Prime Minister will offer Archana and Chivar to the reclining statue of Lord Buddha. He will also plant a Bodhi tree sapling. The Prime Minister will participate in an event, organised to mark Abhidhamma Day here. Eminent Monks from various countries will also be present on the occasion.
The third and the final event of the day is scheduled at Barwa Jungle, a few kilometres away from the Mahaparinirvana temple at 1.10 PM. Here, Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone of Rajkiya Medical College and inaugurate various other development projects. He will also address the gathering here.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has said, the Kushinagar International Airport will play a major role in the development of Eastern Uttar Pradesh as it will boost tourism and create employment opportunities. He said, the State is realising the dream of Prime Minister Narendra Modi of making air travel accessible to common man by making operational the maximum number of airports in the country. He also said that in the last four and half years, the state government has opened a number of Medical Colleges in the state. He said, the foundation laying ceremony of Medical College in Kushinagar today is a step forward in this regard.
