The government of Bihar state has decided to extend their invitations to His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind for an auspicious event in October this year. In a meeting of top officials presided over by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday took the decision.
This October marks the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the Vishwa Shanti Stupa or the Peace Pagoda on Rajgir’s Ratnagiri hills. The mark celebrations of the historic event, the state government has decided to invite Buddhist spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama and President Ram Nath Kovind as distinguished guests.
CM Nitish Kumar has already instructed the chief secretary to send formal invitations to the President of India and the Tibetan spiritual leader, requesting their presence at the event. During the meeting, the officials have reviewed the ongoing preparations for the golden jubilee celebrations of the stupa.
“Holding a high-level meeting with top officials to review the ongoing preparations for the golden jubilee year celebration of the Stupa at his official residence here on Tuesday, CM Nitish Kumar asked the chief secretary Deepak Kumar to immediately send formal invitations to the President of India and the Dalai Lama requesting their presence at the event.” said the report in the Times of India.
The Rajgir-based Vishwa Shanti Stupa, also known as Peace Pagoda, was conceptualized by famous Buddhist philanthropist and monk Nichidatsu Fujii Guruji. It was inaugurated by the then President VV Giri in 1969. This Stupa’s foundation stone was laid by the then President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan in 1965, according to the report.