The government has decided to give public holidays on April 17 and April 21 in view of five-day state visit by President Bidya Devi Bhandari to India.

A Cabinet meeting held at Prime Minister’s residence in Baluwatar on Sunday decided to grant the two days—the departure and arrival day—as public holidays.

Law Minister Ajay Shankar Nayak informed that as per the custom public holidays are given whenever a head of state embarks on an official visit to any nation.

President Bhandari, who assumed the post of the Head-of-the-State following the promulgation of the new constitution in Nepal, is visiting India at the official invitation of her Indian counterpart Pranab Mukherjee.

Earlier, at the invitation of President Bhandari, the Indian President had visited Nepal from November 12 to 15, 2016.

During the visit, President Bhandari is scheduled to meet with President Mukherjee, Vice-president Hamid Ansari and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She will also be holding separate meetings with other senior Indian leaders and officials.