Kathmandu, May 18
The International Buddhist Conference, coinciding with the 2560th Buddha Jayanti, is starting in Kathmandu on Thursday. Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli will inaugurate the three-day conference at 8.30 am.
The conference aims to let the world know that Lumbini is not only the birthplace of the Buddha but also the place where the Buddhist philosophy originated.
At a programme organised on Wednesday to inform about the conference, Minister for Tourism, Ananda Prasad Pokharel, said Lumbini should take initiatives to spread peace all over the world.
The conference will take place at Hotel Soaltee (Crowne PlazaKathmandu-Soaltee) on Thursday and Friday. On Saturday, Lumbini will host a special programme coinciding with 2560 Buddha Jayanti. The conference will end by adopting a Lumbini Declaration.
At Soaltee, delegates from Nepal, India, China, the United Kingdom and Japan will present 19 working papers.
Government representatives and monks from 28 countries are taking part in the conference. From different parts of the world, 400 monks have arrived for the conference, while some are on the way.
