Modi's visit to Janakpur in Nepal cancelled

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's planned visit to Janakpur, a revered Hindu shrine famous as the land of Lord Ram's wife Sita, according to Hindu mythology, has been cancelled.

"I regret to inform that the Indian embassy in Kathamandu has informed through the ministry of foreign affairs, Nepal, that the visit of Indian PM (to Janakpur) has been cancelled," said Nepal's Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Management Bimalendra Nidhi.

Modi planned to visit Janakpur Nov 25, a day ahead of the formal inauguration of the 18th SAARC Summit. He promised to visit Janakpur when he paid an official visit to Nepal in the first week of August. An advance Indian security team also visited Janakpur and cleared his visit there. Security was tightened across the city and Nepal-India border due to his proposed visit.

However, his visits to Lumbini and Muktinath, Buddhist and Hindu religious sites, are on, officials said.