In a personalised e-mail to the Indian community in Myanmar for the PM’s community event in Yangon’s Thuwanna Indoor Stadium, the PM has said that it is “with great delight and enthusiasm” that he would begin his Myanmar visit. “This two-day visit is my first bilateral visit to Myanmar, a valued neighbour and a close friend of India’s,” the PM has said in his e-mail, officials aware of the matter said. The Thuwanna indoor stadium in Yangon which can seat up to 8000 people will the venue for the community event to held by PM on September 6 evening. “The Indian diaspora in Myanmar has brought India and Myanmar a lot closer in the past decades,” PM wrote in his e-mail.

The PM will also visit Shwedagon Pagoda, Aung Sang museum and the Martyrs Mausoleum in Yangon. The 2500-year-old Shwedagon Pagoda enshrines strands of Buddha’s hair and other holy relics. In 1946, General Aung Sang is said to have addressed a meeting here to demand independence from the British while his daughter, Aung San Suu Kyi, is said to have addressed another big meeting here in 1988 demanding democracy from the military regime.

PM Modi will also visit the Martyrs Mausoleum here which contains remains of Aung Sang after his assassination in 1947.

In Bagan city, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be visiting the 1105 AD Ananda Temple which is another prominent Buddhist shrine in Myanmar. There will be about 15 engagements of the PM in Myanmar after he lands in capital Nay Pyi Taw on Tuesday afternoon to a ceremonial welcome followed by a meeting with President U Htin Kaw and an official banquet hosted by the President. On Wednesday, the PM will be meeting Mynamar leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi followed by Delegation talks and press statements. Suu Kyi will be hosting a lunch for PM Modi before he leaves for Yangon.

The PM has invited the Indian diaspora to write to him on a specially created open forum on the Narendra Modi Mobile App with their thoughts and ideas, saying he would refer to some of the ideas received during his speech at the community programme. “On the evening 6th September, I will be addressing the Indian community in Yangon, where I look forward to seeing you. We take immense pride in our diaspora, which has made India proud on the global stage,” PM has written in his e-mail to Indian diaspora.