Chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi presents a memento to Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung in Bodhgaya on Monday. Picture by Suman

Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung was on Monday accorded a rare honour of spending a minute inside the enclosure of the sacred Bodhi tree.

Ever since the tree developed an infection in 2008, entry to the enclosure was banned on the advice of scientists. But chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi made a rare exception for the distinguished guest, an honour earlier denied to Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapakse, Thai Prime Minister Yingluk Shinawatra or Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema.

Expectedly, there were indications of better ties ahead as Manjhi and the Vietnamese leader jointly announced they have agreed to start a Hanoi-Bodhgaya and New Delhi-Bodhgaya-Hanoi air service to increase tourist inflow.

Dung, on a visit to the holy town, said his visit to Bodhgaya would strengthen old, bilateral, comprehensive ties between the two countries.

“I hope under the leadership of prime minister Narendra Modi, bilateral cooperation would be further strengthened. Bihar chief minister and I have agreed for bilateral cooperation, specially in the tourism and also in agriculture and fisheries sectors. The chief minister and I have agreed to host a business conclave in Vietnam and in Bihar that will bring good opportunities to increase tourist inflow. I thank Bihar government for revival of the Nalanda University and congratulate the government for highest economic growth rate in the country,” Dung said.

Manjhi said Dung had invited him to visit his country with a delegation and they would seriously consider it.

He said: “The Prime Minister has agreed to host a conclave of Bihar in Vietnam and of Vietnam in Bodhgaya.”

Earlier in the day, Dung and his wife Tran Khanh Kiem entered the enclosure around the sacred Bodhi tree, touched it and bowed in obeisance to the place where prince Siddhartha attained enlightenment around 2,600 years back to become the Buddha. Dung picked up a couple of peepal leaves fallen on the ground.

The enclosure has not been opened to anybody since May 2008 after the Forest Research Institute (FRI), Dehradun, suggested ban on entry of devotees into the enclosure around the Bodhi tree to protect the sacred tree, as it was getting infected.

The enclosure opens once a day when a monk and priest offer puja near the tree. After that the enclosure remains closed. Following a special request by the Vietnam government, the enclosure was opened for a minute on Monday, district magistrate Sanjay Kumar Agarwal confirmed.