Kathmandu, Dec. 8: The second edition of the India-Nepal Cultural Festival organized by the Embassy of India in Nepal took place on Saturday, Dec. 8, in Lumbini, the birthplace of Gautam Buddha, the founder of Buddhism.

The festival featured a series of events, including a cultural program 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 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.

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 press release added.

As a part of this festival, an academic seminar titled “Buddhist Cultural Heritage of India and Nepal” was held at Lumbini Buddhist University on the morning of December 8. The seminar brought together eminent Buddhist scholars from India and Nepal.

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 housing this school was constructed as a High Impact Community Development Project (HICDP) with Government of India’s financial assistance.