During the visit to Thailand, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Wat Pho Temple. He will visit the Mahabodhi Temple at Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka on Sunday. This displays Modi’s efforts to place Buddhism at the heart of India’s foreign policy, underling India’s role as a global focal point for Buddhism.
In 2024, at the India-ASEAN Summit, Modi gifted a vintage brass Buddha statue to Laos President Thongloun Sisoulith , symbolizing shared heritage and India’s commitment to cultural diplomacy.
In the same year, India sent several sacred relics of Lord Buddha and his disciples to Thailand. The relics of Lord Buddha and his disciples, Arahant Sariputta and Arahant Maha Moggallana, were taken to Bangkok by an Indian delegation and displayed for 25 days in four cities of Thailand .
In 2023, PM Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visited the Bal Bodhi Tree at Buddha Jayanti Park in Delhi, reinforcing the deep-rooted Buddhism ties between India and Japan. India also hosted the first-ever Global Buddhist Summit, bringing together scholars and practitioners to discuss contemporary challenges through the lens of Buddhist philosophy, where Modi stressed that Buddha’s teachings provide solutions to global issues.
In 2022, PM Modi visited Lumbini, Nepal, on Buddha Purnima and laid the foundation stone for the India International Centre for Buddhist Culture and Heritage, a landmark project promoting Buddhist culture and strengthening Indo-Nepal spiritual ties.
In 2022, India sent four Holy Relics of Lord Buddha, known as the Kapilavastu Relics, to Mongolia for an 11-day exposition coinciding with Mongolian Buddha Purnima celebrations. In 2018, Modi visited the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple in Singapore.
In 2017 during his visit to Sri Lanka Modi addressed the International Vesak Day Celebrations in Colombo and visited the Gangaramaya Buddhist Temple. In 2016, during his visit to Vietnam, Modi toured the Quan Su Pagoda in Hanoi.
In 2015, visited the Da Xingshan Temple and Big Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi’an, China, highlighting the historical Buddhist exchanges between India and China. In Mongolia, he visited the Gandan Monastery, where he emphasized the common spiritual heritage of the two nations. In Sri Lanka, he paid homage at the Sri Maha Bodhi Tree in Anuradhapura, strengthening India’s connection to one of Buddhism’s most sacred sites.
In 2014, when Modi visited Kyoto, Japan, he explored the Toji and Kinkaku-ji temples The Buddhist Circuit, developed under Modi’s leadership, traces significant sites associated with Lord Buddha’s life and teachings, enhancing pilgrimage tourism. To facilitate travel across these sacred locations, the Buddhist Circuit Tourist Train (Mahaparinirvan Express) was introduced, offering an immersive pilgrimage experience covering India and Nepal’s most revered Buddhist sites. The Kushinagar International Airport has significantly improved access to pilgrimage destinations, and the revival of Nalanda University reinstates India as a global center for Buddhist learning. The government has also recognized Pali as a classical language, ensuring the preservation of Buddhist literature.
By deepening ties with Buddhist nations and revitalizing its own Buddhist heritage, PM continues to reinforce India’s role as a global center promoting peace and wisdom as propounded in Buddhism.
In 2024, at the India-ASEAN Summit, Modi gifted a vintage brass Buddha statue to Laos President Thongloun Sisoulith , symbolizing shared heritage and India’s commitment to cultural diplomacy.
In the same year, India sent several sacred relics of Lord Buddha and his disciples to Thailand. The relics of Lord Buddha and his disciples, Arahant Sariputta and Arahant Maha Moggallana, were taken to Bangkok by an Indian delegation and displayed for 25 days in four cities of Thailand .
In 2023, PM Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visited the Bal Bodhi Tree at Buddha Jayanti Park in Delhi, reinforcing the deep-rooted Buddhism ties between India and Japan. India also hosted the first-ever Global Buddhist Summit, bringing together scholars and practitioners to discuss contemporary challenges through the lens of Buddhist philosophy, where Modi stressed that Buddha’s teachings provide solutions to global issues.
In 2022, PM Modi visited Lumbini, Nepal, on Buddha Purnima and laid the foundation stone for the India International Centre for Buddhist Culture and Heritage, a landmark project promoting Buddhist culture and strengthening Indo-Nepal spiritual ties.
In 2022, India sent four Holy Relics of Lord Buddha, known as the Kapilavastu Relics, to Mongolia for an 11-day exposition coinciding with Mongolian Buddha Purnima celebrations. In 2018, Modi visited the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple in Singapore.
In 2017 during his visit to Sri Lanka Modi addressed the International Vesak Day Celebrations in Colombo and visited the Gangaramaya Buddhist Temple. In 2016, during his visit to Vietnam, Modi toured the Quan Su Pagoda in Hanoi.
In 2015, visited the Da Xingshan Temple and Big Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi’an, China, highlighting the historical Buddhist exchanges between India and China. In Mongolia, he visited the Gandan Monastery, where he emphasized the common spiritual heritage of the two nations. In Sri Lanka, he paid homage at the Sri Maha Bodhi Tree in Anuradhapura, strengthening India’s connection to one of Buddhism’s most sacred sites.
In 2014, when Modi visited Kyoto, Japan, he explored the Toji and Kinkaku-ji temples The Buddhist Circuit, developed under Modi’s leadership, traces significant sites associated with Lord Buddha’s life and teachings, enhancing pilgrimage tourism. To facilitate travel across these sacred locations, the Buddhist Circuit Tourist Train (Mahaparinirvan Express) was introduced, offering an immersive pilgrimage experience covering India and Nepal’s most revered Buddhist sites. The Kushinagar International Airport has significantly improved access to pilgrimage destinations, and the revival of Nalanda University reinstates India as a global center for Buddhist learning. The government has also recognized Pali as a classical language, ensuring the preservation of Buddhist literature.
By deepening ties with Buddhist nations and revitalizing its own Buddhist heritage, PM continues to reinforce India’s role as a global center promoting peace and wisdom as propounded in Buddhism.
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