In an attempt to connect Buddhist pilgrimage sites around the world, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate Kushinagar International Airport on Wednesday and will also launch various development projects during his visit to Uttar Pradesh as polls are awaited.
The celebration of the Abhidhamma Day at Mahaparinirvana Temple in Kushinagar will also see the participation of the Prime Minister as informed by the PMO before which he will also attend a public function to inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of various development projects.
Launching of the Airport and Other Events
A flight from Colombo, Sri Lanka would become the first flight to land at the Kushinagar airport and will be carrying 100 Buddhist monks and other dignitaries which will also include a 12-member associate carrying holy Buddha relics for exhibition.
The anunayakas or deputy heads of all four nikatas or orders of Buddhism in Sri Lanka namely Asgiriya, Amarapura, Ramanya, and Malwatta will also be a part of the delegation arriving at the airport along with the five ministers of the Lankan government led by their cabinet minister.
The airport has been built keeping in mind the international pilgrims coming to visit the ‘mahaparinirvana’ site of Lord Buddha and had a making cost of around Rs 260 Crores. The airport will serve various districts from both UP and Bihar and is bound to create more employment opportunities and would be boosting investment in the region.
The event organized to mark the Abhidhamma day will be attended by prominent monks from Sri Lanka, Thailand, Cambodia, South Korea, Nepal, Bhutan, and also ambassadors from other countries.
In another public event, Prime Minister will lay the foundation of Rajkiya Medical College, Kushinagar which is expected to provide admissions to MBBS students in 2022-2023 and will also consist of a 500-bed hospital. The cost of the project is estimated at around Rs 280 crores. Furthermore, the Prime Minister will also inaugurate other 12 development projects costing around Rs 180 Crores.