Venerable Monks,

 Excellencies, Distinguished Colleagues, Friends,

     It is an honor for me, as a representative of India - the land of the origin of Buddhism - to join all of you on this auspicious occasion as we jointly commemorate the Day of Vesak at the United Nations. 

2.    I take this opportunity to thank my colleagues the distinguished Permanent Representatives of Sri Lanka & Thailand for the initiative that they always take in celebrating this annual event.

3.    Vesak is a day when we not only honour and celebrate the Buddha's birth, enlightenment and Mahaparinirvana, but also remind ourselves of the importance of leading our lives in accordance with his life and teachings which illustrate the power of service, compassion and renunciation. 

4.    Gautama Buddha was a great social reformer who gave a new world view and his key messages of Truth, Non Violence, Peace and Harmony resonated across distant lands and continue to do so today, two and half millennia after Mahaparinirvana.

5.    Symbolic of the abiding nature of ties that bind across national borders, India's Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, who is deeply inspired by Buddha's teachings, is visiting Sri Lanka on May 12, the day after tomorrow, to attend the UN 'Vesak Day' celebrations in Colombo. 

6.    Buddhist faith has influenced and enriched our philosophy, science, arts and architecture and culture and education throughout history, especially in large parts of South and Southeast Asia.

7.    Nalanda, a great seat of Buddhist learning, which belonged not only to India but to thousands of students arriving from great distances across borders,  is now on the way to its revival 800 years after its decline. Being accomplished in cooperation across several countries, Nalanda University will build itself in the course of time as a vehicle for propagating the constructive and creative dimensions of our philosophies, experiences and practices which will unite us across borders.

8.    The modern world continues to be beset with great human suffering, deepening inequalities violent conflicts and environmental degradation. The teachings of Buddha which essentially is a reaffirmation of a sustainable lifestyle, harmony with inner self and with nature, hold great promise for achievement of global sustainable development goals and to unite the world to fight climate change.  

9.    On this auspicious day, I join all of you in paying homage to the legacy of Gautama Buddha and in keeping with his values praying for our collective happiness and wellbeing.