Nepal PM to invite PM Modi to attend Bibaha Panchami in December

Nepalese Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli will invite his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi to attend the "Bibaha Panchami" celebrations in December during the latter's state visit to the Himalayan nation.

"Bibaha Panchami' held annually in Janakpur, the birth land of Goddess Sita. As the festive season is going on we are yet to make a detailed programme and inform our other officials regarding it," an aide to the Nepal Prime Minister confirmed to ANI.

"His visit invitation for the Bibaha Panchami on December 12 this year is confirmed as Bishnu Rimal has earlier confirmed. A detailed report about it will be released as soon as the festive season is over," he added.

Along with the visit to Janakpur, Prime Minister Modi will also be inaugurating the railway bridge between Janakpur and Bihar's Jainagar, which is being constructed with the aid from India and had been stalled since 2014 over an upgrade. Previously, Prime Minister Modi was confirmed to be visiting the Himalayan nation at end of November.

During the Indian Prime Minister's visit to Janakpur, his fifth visit to Nepal since taking office, Prime Minister Modi is also scheduled to visit Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha.

"As the Nepal Government is set to write to Indian Prime Minister inviting him over visit the previous schedule is sure to be changed. As they are working on the schedule we haven't got any information here though. But his visit to Lumbini as of now remains intact," an official inside the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu told ANI.