US Vice President J D Vance, his wife Usha Vance and their three children began their 4-day India visit on Monday. The family visited the Akshardham Temple in the national capital, shortly after their arrival in the country.
The family will be in the country from April 21 to 24. They were received at the airport by Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
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After visiting the temple, the VP in a message to Swaminarayan Akshardham wrote, “Thank you all so much for your hospitality and Kindness in welcoming me and my family to this beautiful place.”
“It is a great credit to India that you built a beautiful temple with precision and care. Our kids in particular loved it. God Bless,” the temple posted on X.
Stating about their visit, Akshardham temple spokesperson, Radhika Shukla said that the US Vice President spent 55 minutes exploring the temple, appreciating its intricate carvings, and offering prayers for world peace.
Shukla said, “The whole family was here for around 55 minutes. Their experience of one hour inside was unforgettable. After the welcome, they started with the Charanarvind of Lord Swaminarayan. Moving ahead, they visited Bharat Upvan. They liked the garden very much. Going further, they visited Gajendra Peeth. They were very overwhelmed by the carvings. Then they went upstairs and after having a darshan of the idol of Lord Swaminarayan in the sanctum sanctorum, they prayed for world peace.”
Vance also received a ceremonial Guard of Honour on his first official visit to India.
Sharing a post on X, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal wrote, “A very warm welcome to @VP JD Vance, @SLOTUS Mrs. Usha Vance, & the US delegation to India! Received by Minister of Railways and I&B AshwiniVaishnaw at the airport.”
“The Official Visit (21-24 Apr) spanning Delhi, Jaipur & Agra is expected to further deepen the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership,” the post added.
Hoardings of US Vice President Vance were also put up near Palam airport, ahead of his arrival today.
Later today, Vance is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the national capital. A bilateral meeting between Vice President Vance and Prime Minister Modi is scheduled for 6:30 pm at the Prime Minister’s official residence, 7, Lok Kalyan Marg.
Strengthening economic, trade, and defence cooperation between the two nations are likely to be on the agenda of the meeting.
Following the official meetings, the Vance family is set to visit Jaipur on Tuesday, followed by a visit to Agra. He will travel to Jaipur on Tuesday. On April 23, he is scheduled to visit Agra.
Vance’s visit to India will conclude on Thursday, April 24
