New Delhi, May 6: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the virtual prayers to be held tomorrow on the occasion of Buddha Purnima. The event is being organised by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs in coordination with the International Buddhist Confederation. Modi would be delivering the keynote address at the event which is being dedicated to COVID-19 victims and frontline warriors. COVID-19 Live Tracker: Map The Spread of Coronavirus in All States of India.

"Ministry of Culture, Government of India in collaboration with the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC), a global Buddhist umbrella organization is holding a Virtual Prayer Event with the participation of all the supreme heads of the Buddhist Sanghas from around the world," said the statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).

Modi is scheduled to deliver the keynote address in the morning, said the PMO statement, adding that the event is being organised in honour of the victims and the frontline warriors of COVID-19.

Update by ANI

Prayer ceremonies on the occasion will be streamed live from the Sacred Garden Lumbini in Nepal, Mahabodhi Temple in India's Bodhgaya, Mulagandha Kuti Vihara in  Sarnath, Parinirvana Stupa in Kushinagar, Pirith Chanting from Ruwanweli Maha Seya in the sacred and historic Anuradhapura stupa premises of Sri Lanka, apart from other popular Buddhist sites.

Apart from PM Modi, Union Minister of Culture and Tourism Prahlad Singh Patel and MoS Minority Affairs, Kiren Rijiju would also be participating in the event. The day marks Buddh Purnima - the birth of Gautam Buddha - as well as the day of his Enlightenment and MahaParinirvana -- or the state of nirvana-after-death, as per the Buddhist beliefs.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 06, 2020 10:34 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).