Indian Army Chief visits temple, attends Nepal Army Day celebrations

Indian Army chief General Bipin Rawat, who is on a three-day visit to the Himalayan nation, today prayed at the Bindhyabasini temple in Pokhara and attended the Mahashivratri and the Army Day celebrations here.

General Rawat will also be meeting his Nepalese counterpart General Rajendra Chhetri at the Nepal Army pavilion at Tundikhel here.

He arrived here yesterday on the invitation of his Nepalese counterpart to attend the Army Day Parade and function, which coincides with the 250th anniversary of the Himalayan nation's unification.

The Indian Army chief has been invited to Nepal Army Day function this year as a special guest as he is also the honorary chief of the Nepal Army.

He was conferred with the honorary rank of general of the Nepal Army by President Bidhya Devi Bhandari at a special programme at her official residence in March last year.

Earlier, General Rawat visited the Bindhyabasini temple in Pokhara, a famous tourist spot of Western Nepal, where he and other Nepal Army officers were welcomed by the temple development committee.

According to sources, Indian Army chief is likely to visit Pashupatinath temple tomorrow.

He will also call on Nepal's President and Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, Defence Minister Bhimsen Das Pradhan and other top leaders, before wrapping up his three-day visit, they said.

"There has been close and cordial relations between Nepal Army and Indian Army since a long time and there is a tradition of inviting inviting chiefs of Nepalese and Indian Army during special occasions," according to a Nepal Army statement.

High-level visits between the two armies will further strengthen bilateral relations and promote mutual interests, the statement said.