GORAKHPUR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday offered prayers at the Mahaparinirvana temple in Kushinagar district on the occasion of Buddha Purnima.
The prime minister reached the temple, which is said to be the place where Lord Buddha attained nirvana, after returning from Lumbini in Nepal. He offered a 'chivar' (robe) at the reclining Lord Buddha statue in the presence of priests. He was also presented with an idol of Lord Buddha.
The prime minister is scheduled to attend a dinner at Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's residence in Lucknow later in the day during which he will also meet all the ministers of the state government.
In the morning, the prime minister reached Kushinagar airport, where he was welcomed by several MPs, MLAs and officials, before heading for Lumbini.
Modi along with his Nepalese counterpart Sher Bahadur Deuba laid the foundation stone of a technologically-advanced India International Centre for Buddhist Culture and Heritage in Lumbini, Lord Buddha's birthplace.