King inaugurates Second World Buddhist Summit

December 1, 2004
1 MIN READ
A
A+
A-

His Majesty King Gyanendra today formally inaugurated the Second World Buddhist Summit which kicked off in Lumbini on Tuesday, reports said.

King Gyanendra, who is also the patron of the Lumbini Development Trust (LDT), reached the holy site of Lumbini accompanied by Queen Komal at around 11 am today. The Royal couple also paid a visit to the sacred Maya Devi temple in the Sacred Garden area of Lumbini and performed worship.

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, who is the coordinator of the Second World Buddhist Summit Main Organising Committee, welcomed the royal couple at the holy site of Lumbini.

Apart from PM Deuba, Deputy PM Bharat Mohan Adhikari, Home Minister Purna Bahadur Khadka and other ministers, state ministers and assistant were present in the inaugural session of the three-day Summit. Thousands of people including more than 140 delegates, observers, ministers, state ministers, monks and heads of diplomatic missions of different countries are participating in the Summit, which will conclude on Thursday (Dec 2).

The royal couple will grace the Summit for about one and a half hour, media reports quoted Tourism Minister Deep Kumar Upadhyay as saying.