Patna: Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa will visit Bodh Gaya in Bihar February 8 to pray at the site where Lord Buddha attained enlightenment, an official said on Saturday.
The President will also meet Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
"Rajapaksa will visit Bodh Gaya to offer prayers at the Mahabodhi temple for peace and development of his country," an official said here.
Thousands of Sri Lankans visit Bodh Gaya annually.
Bodh Gaya's 1,500-year-old Mahabodhi Temple is considered Buddhism's holiest shrine. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2002.
IANS
First Published: Saturday, January 26, 2013, 13:03