Sineenatha Bilaskalyani, Royal Noble Consort of Thailand, visited Lumbini on Friday and offered prayers at the birthplace of Lord Buddha, underscoring the deep spiritual ties between Thailand and Nepal.

Arriving overland from India for a two-day visit, Bilaskalyani participated in special prayers organised by the Royal Thai Monastery in Lumbini. She departed for Bangkok later in the afternoon aboard a Thai Air Force-chartered Boeing 737.

The junior consort of Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn offered morning prayers at the Mayadevi Temple, where she also circumambulated the sacred Pushkarini pond. She chanted protective prayers for world peace, harmony, compassion and goodwill for about half an hour. The rituals were conducted by Phra Phrom Vajirabodhivong, the Thai religious envoy to Nepal and India.

Bilaskalyani also offered prayers at the Ashoka Pillar within the Mayadevi Temple complex and interacted with monks, nuns, devotees and pilgrims from various countries. She spent nearly two hours at the temple, showing keen interest in meditation and prayer, temple officials said.

Tourism entrepreneurs believe the visit will further increase the number of Thai pilgrims to Lumbini. They note that Thai tourist arrivals began to rise steadily after Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn visited Lumbini eight years ago. Members of the Thai royal family are widely revered in Thailand, and their visits often inspire citizens to travel to the same destinations.

Lumbini, revered as the birthplace of Gautam Buddha and a major centre of Buddhist faith, remains a preferred destination for Thai Buddhists, according to monks and nuns based in the area. During her visit, Bilaskalyani also interacted with local residents and students.

This marks the fourth visit to Lumbini by a member of the Thai royal family. Bilaskalyani had arrived in India on January 21 aboard a chartered aircraft, leading a 70-member delegation of senior palace officials, and visited Bodh Gaya, Sarnath and Kushinagar— sites revered as three of the four holy places of Buddhism—before arriving in Lumbini.