Envoy reiterates Sri Lanka’s support to reconstruct quake-damaged temples in Nepal

Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Nepal W. Swarnalatha Perera on Tuesday has reiterated that Sri Lanka would help Nepal rebuild the quake-damaged Rato Machhindranath Temple in Bungamati and the Ananda Kuti Vihar in Swayambhu.

The Government has undertaken to reconstruct the Buddhist Temple in Swayambhunath and the Rato Macchindranath Hindu Kovil in Lalitpur.

The two significant Buddhist heritage sites of Kathmandu Valley were destroyed in the 7.8 magnitude quake on 25 April 2015.

In a meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs Bimalendra Nidhi at the Ministry of Home Affairs, the envoy showed her concerns over the reconstruction of the heritage sites, Himalayan Times reported according to a statement issued by Nidhi’s secretariat. At the International Conference on Nepal’s Reconstruction held in Kathmandu in June 2015 Sri Lanka pledged $ 1.5 million in aid for the recovery of Nepal.

The envoy informed Nidhi that President Maithripala Sirisena would visit Nepal soon to mark the 60th anniversary of commencement of diplomatic ties between the two nations.

Meanwhile, DPM Nidhi asked the Ambassador to promote Lumbini, the birth place of Gautam Buddha, in Sri Lanka so that more tourists would visit the holy site. It would strengthen the people-to-people relation between two neighbours, he justified.

Acknowledging the Sri Lankan support for Nepal reconstruction efforts, Nidhi said Nepal expected cooperation with Sri Lanka in developmental activities as well.