Lumbini, Mar 23: A Mahavihar (monastery) building, which has been built with Indian assistance, was inaugurated in Nepal's Lalitpur on Friday amidst a grand ceremony.

Indian Embassy in Kathmandu informed in a press release that Nepal Minister of Urban Development, Dhan Bahadur Budha, and Indian Ambassador to Nepal, Naveen Srivastava, jointly inaugurated the new building of Shree Jestha Varna Mahavihar, Lalitpur.

Shree Jestha Varna Mahavihar is the cultural heritage and place of worship of Newa, which is a form of Vajrayana Buddhism practised in the region. They are considered to be the indigenous people and the creators of the historical civilization of Nepal's Kathmandu Valley.

The project has been built under the government of India's post-earthquake reconstruction grant in the cultural heritage sector in Nepal. The project was taken up under the post-earthquake reconstruction grant in the cultural heritage sector in Nepal.

"The Jestha Varna Mahavihar, which got damaged during the 2015 Gorkha earthquake, has now been reconstructed with the Government of India's Grant assistance at a tendered cost of NPR 13.78 cr. The project has been implemented by Central Level Project Implementation Unit (CLPIU-Building & Housing), DUDBC, Government of Nepal," the Indian Embassy in stated in the release
Inaugurating the newly built structure of cultural and religious significance, Minister Budha in his remarks, appreciated India's support for post-earthquake reconstruction as well as efforts towards the economic development of Nepal.

Indian Ambassador, in his remarks, highlighted the various aspects of the robust ongoing development cooperation between the two countries and mentioned that it is a significant aspect of India-Nepal bilateral partnership.

India and Nepal have historic cultural similarities and heritage to preserve for future generations. Therefore, the restoration of cultural heritage projects is a shared endeavour. It's a reflection of the common culture, which is one of the strengths of the friendly relationship that the two countries share.

India has committed to the conservation of 28 cultural heritage sites across seven districts of Nepal. Besides these, under the post-earthquake reconstruction grant, New Delhi has also supported the reconstruction of 50,000 private houses in Gorkha and Nuwakot districts, the reconstruction of 71 educational institutions across 8 districts and the reconstruction of 132 health facilities across 10 districts of Nepal.

This project is a reflection of India's development partnership with Nepal and complements the efforts of the Government of Nepal in post-earthquake reconstruction.

Buddhiraj Bajracharya, President of Lalitpur Development Society, representatives of the local community, representatives of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), the PMC for the project, officials from the Government of Nepal and the Embassy of India, Kathmandu were also present at the event. (ANI)

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