PM Modi’s two day Nepal visit: Will flag off bus service between Janakpur and Ayodhya

Both Nepal's Janakpur and Ayodhya in India are key places in the Ramayana tourism circuit.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi shakes hands with his Nepalese counterpart Khadga Prasad Oli. (Image: PTI/ File)

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will today arrive in Nepal's Janakpur on a two-day state visit. In Janakpur, Modi will be received by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, and after a darshan at the Janaki Mandir. He will then be attending a civic reception hosted by the mayor of Janakpur Lal Kishor Sah. Modi's visit to Nepal is seen as an attempt by both the countries to bring back normalcy in ties after a spell of uneasiness as it comes little over a month after his Nepalese counterpart K P Sharma Oli came to India. In Janakpur, he will also be announcing a direct bus service between Janakpur in Nepal and Ayodhya in India, both key places in the Ramayana tourism circuit. In addition to Janakpur, PM Modi will also be visiting Muktinath. Both of these places attract a large number of pilgrims every year. In the afternoon, Modi will travel to Kathmandu where he will meet Nepalese President Bidya Devi Bhandari and Vice President Nanda Bahadur Pun. In the evening, he will hold delegation-level talks with Oli, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said. The two prime ministers are likely to sign a number of pacts and inaugurate the Rs 6000-crore Arun 3 project which is expected to generate around 900 MW of power. On the eve of his two-day visit to Nepal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India would remain a steadfast partner of the Himalayan nation in its quest for growth and development. Describing his two-day trip to Nepal as a reflection of his government's commitment to "neighbourhood first" policy, Modi had said the Himalayan nation has entered a new era and India would continue to support it. In 2016, the Nepalese leader had publicly accused India of interfering in his country's internal matters and trying to topple his government. Oli's visit was seen as an attempt to repair Nepal's ties with New Delhi.