Second India-Nepal Cultural Festival celebrates Buddhist heritage in Lumbini

The second edition of the India-Nepal Cultural Festival organised by the Embassy of India in Nepal took place on Saturday in Lumbini, the birthplace of Gautam Buddha, the founder of Buddhism.

The festival featured a series of events, including a cultural programme with performances from both Indian and Nepali artists, as well as an academic seminar on the Buddhist cultural heritage shared by the two countries.

“The Embassy of India in Nepal, in collaboration with the Lumbini Development Trust and Lumbini Buddhist University, organised the second edition of the India-Nepal Cultural Festival in Lumbini on 8th December 2024,” the Embassy of India in Nepal said in a press release.

The festival celebrated the rich cultural heritage and traditions of both India and Nepal, with a special focus on Buddhism.

The event was jointly inaugurated by Krishna Bahadur Gharti Magar, Governor of Lumbini Province; Prachanda Bikram Neupane, Minister for Industry, Tourism and Transport Management of Lumbini Province; Janmajay Timilsina, Minister for Social Development of Lumbini Province; Dr Lharkyal Lama, Vice Chairman of Lumbini Development Trust, and Prasanna Shrivastava, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of India in Kathmandu.

The event was attended by prominent dignitaries, including Members of the Provincial Assembly, Mayor of Butwal Sub-Metropolitan City, Chief District Officer of Rupandehi, Senior Superintendents of Nepal Police and Armed Police Force, as well as a wide cross-section of civil society members and senior monks, along with council and staff members from the Lumbini Development Trust.

The evening of December 8 featured a cultural programme, with performances by renowned artists from both India and Nepal.

A highlight of the event was a Kathak dance recital, themed around Buddhism, performed by an eight-member troupe from India led by Shikha Sharma. This performance was supported by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), New Delhi. The evening also included traditional Nepali dance performances by Swojan Raghubanshi and his group, the release added.

As a part of this festival, an academic seminar titled “Buddhist Cultural Heritage of India and Nepal” was organised at Lumbini Buddhist University on the morning of December 8. The seminar brought together eminent Buddhist scholars from India and Nepal, who shared their valuable insights on the cultural and historical significance of Buddhist heritage in both countries.

The same morning, Kathak dance exponent Shikha Sharma and her troupe also engaged with students at Shree Ram Naresh Yadav Adarsh Model Secondary School, Rohini-3, Rupandehi in Butwal, introducing them to the art of Kathak dance. The building of this school was constructed as a High Impact Community Development Project (HICDP) with Government of India’s financial assistance. This interaction promoted the rich heritage of Indian classical dance and inspired a deeper appreciation for Indian art forms among the young students of the school.

As part of the festival, the Kathak dance troupe from India will also be performing in Kathmandu and Pokhara, the release said.

This cultural festival aims to strengthen the age-old, unique and close ties between India and Nepal by celebrating their shared cultural heritage, while further fostering people-to-people ties. The event underscored the strong cultural and historical bonds between the two nations.