Ajitman Tamang, member of the Lumbini Development Trust (LDT), said that the three agreements with regards to the development of Lumbini they had planned to sign with Indian PM Modi during his Lumbini visit have been put in limbo as a result.

During Modi’s visit, the LDT officials had planned to seek assistance for the completion of one of the projects of the Lumbini Master Plan while the other two agreements are related to the construction of an auditorium hall to be constructed at the cost of about Rs 330 million.

Karmasangbo Sherpa, vice chairman of the LDT, informed that they had a plans to discuss with Modi about the prospect of promoting tourism in Buddhist pilgrimage and heritage sites in both Nepal and India.

He said that Lumbini is a source of inspiration for not only Buddhists but also to people belonging to different religions in the world as well.

Bishnu Sharma, chairman of the Siddharthanagar Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that they had plans to hold a meeting with the visiting Indian Prime Minister and discuss the possibility of linking Lumbini with the Buddhist Circuit of India, operate direct flights from Lumbini to Sarnath in Varanasi, India and urge him to expand the broad-gauge railway service to the Special Economic Zone in Bhairahawa.

“We are saddened by the cancellation of Modi’s visit to Lumbini. This also means we have lost a golden opportunity to take up border-related problems with the Indian premier,” he said.

Meanwhile, with the cancellation of Modi’s Lumbini visit, the rostrum built on the premises of Mayadevi Temple in Lumbini, which was set up for Modi’s civic reception on the sidelines of Saarc Summit, has been demolished.  

“We demolished the rostrum and other structures built to welcome Modi after the LDT asked us to do so,” said Chandra Mohan Patawa, manager of the Bhairahawa-based Patahawa Tent House. He said Rs 300,000 were released for the decoration of the stage as part of the preparation to host a civic reception for Modi on the premises of Mayadevi Temple.