Kathmandu, August 15 (HS): Nepal’s Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli will embark on an official visit to India from September 16, with a unique diplomatic departure from tradition: his bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not take place at New Delhi’s historic Hyderabad House, but in the spiritually significant city of Bodh Gaya, Bihar.
According to sources in India’s Ministry of External Affairs, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri is scheduled to arrive in Kathmandu on August 17 for a two-day visit aboard a special Indian Air Force aircraft. During his stay, he will formally extend the invitation letter from Prime Minister Modi to his Nepalese counterpart for the September state visit.
A Departure from Tradition
Ordinarily, such high-level bilateral engagements with visiting heads of state and government are hosted in New Delhi’s ceremonial Hyderabad House — a symbol of India’s diplomatic protocol. However, Prime Minister Modi has on several occasions chosen special venues of historical and cultural resonance for meetings with foreign leaders. This time, Bodh Gaya — one of the holiest Buddhist sites in the world — has been selected as the setting for the India-Nepal summit talks.
Symbolism Rooted in Shared Heritage
Diplomatic observers note that the choice of Bodh Gaya carries deep symbolic significance in the context of India–Nepal cultural relations. Lord Buddha was born in Lumbini, Nepal, and attained enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree in Bodh Gaya, India — both sites today serving as enduring spiritual and cultural links between the two nations.
The upcoming summit is expected to go beyond ceremonial symbolism. Officials from both sides anticipate the signing of several key agreements designed to bolster cooperation in areas ranging from cross-border connectivity and energy trade to culture, tourism, and people-to-people ties.
If concluded as planned, the Modi–Oli meeting in Bodh Gaya will stand as both a diplomatic milestone and a gesture of civilisational kinship, reaffirming the two neighbours’ historical bonds while paving the way for deeper strategic partnership.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
