The third Lumbini News Festival is starting on Saturday at the birthplace of Buddha with the aim of promoting tourism in the Lumbini region and debating cross-border news issues.

The three-day festival organized by the Lumbini Press Club in Rupandehi is attended by journalists from Nepal and India. Earlier, the festival was organized in 2076 and 2080 BS.

Lumbini Press Club President Kamal Rayamajhi said that more than 50 mainstream editors and representatives of journalist-related organizations in Kathmandu and 300 journalists from all over the country participated in the first festival organized in Mangsir 2076. The program was organized locally for the second time.

‘This time, 40 journalists are participating from India alone,’ he said, ‘Half a dozen senior journalists are participating from Kathmandu.’ According to him, local and national level journalists from Sikkim, New Delhi, Lucknow, Ayodhya, Kashi, Gorakhpur, Maharajgunj in India will participate. The President of the Press Council Nepal, the President of the Federation of Nepali Journalists and senior journalists who have not participated in the program before have been invited from Kathmandu. In addition, tourism and media personnel from Chitwan, Pokhara and Bardiya will participate, said Rayamajhi. According to Press Club General Secretary Prakash Neupane, the festival will begin with a lamp lighting ceremony at Saisin and Mayadevi Temples for the participants on Saturday evening. Chief Minister Chet Narayan Acharya will inaugurate the festival at 8 am on Sunday. After that, three sessions on various topics will be conducted with the participation of media personnel and tourism stakeholders from Nepal and India.