The visit will underscore the shared civilizational heritage of the people of both countries

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will pay an official visit to Lumbini, Nepal on May 16 on the occasion of Buddha Purnima.

The visit comes at the invitation of Nepal Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday.

This will be Prime Minister Modi's fifth visit to Nepal since 2014 and his first since being re-elected to office in 2019.

According to the MEA, PM Modi will visit the sacred Mayadevi temple to offer prayers. He will also address a Buddha Jayanti event organized by the Lumbini Development Trust under the aegis of the Government of Nepal.

Separately, Prime Minister Modi will participate in the "Shilanyas” ceremony for the construction of a centre for Buddhist culture and heritage, in a plot belonging to the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC), New Delhi within the Lumbini Monastic Zone.

"Prime Minister Modi’s visit continues the tradition of regular high level exchanges between India and Nepal in furtherance of our Neighbourhood First policy. It underscores the shared civilizational heritage of the people of both countries," the MEA said.

According to Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, (MoFA), Prime Minister Modi's planned visit will help to deepen bilateral ties and the two nations' long-standing socio-cultural links.

While in Lumbini, the two Prime Ministers will hold bilateral meetings and exchange views on Nepal-India cooperation and common interests.

Nepal's Prime Minister will throw a party in honour of India's Prime Minister and his team, Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs added.

Nepal's Minister of Foreign Affairs Narayan Khadka will also meet with PM Modi.