French President Emmanuel Macron has come to India on a 2-day state visit and to the Pink City on Thursday. Jaipur laid down the red carpet for Macron’s arrival with a grand welcome, showcasing the pink city’s rich culture. PM Modi and French President Macron took out a roadshow in the old city and visited its iconic monuments on Thursday evening.
Macron touched down in Jaipur and was received by external affairs minister S Jaishankar, Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra and chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma. From the airport, Macron went straight to the Amber Fort.
Macron took a two-hour tour of the grand Amber Fort. At the Amber Fort, the French president was welcomed by Rajasthan deputy chief minister Diya Kumari. Macron interacted with the excited school children who were present to welcome him. The children eagerly took selfies with the French president.
Soon after this Modi reached Jaipur and both leaders commenced their roadshow in an open jeep from the Tripolia gate to Badi Chaupad. Here, at the world-famous Hawa Mahal, Modi and Macron had masala tea at Jaipur’s famous Sahu tea stall.
The entire area was thronged by enthusiastic locals who chanted slogans of “Modi, Modi” and “Jai Siya Ram”. From Hawa Mahal, the leaders headed to the Albert Hall museum, where they took a tour of the museum. They both then took a guided tour of the Jantar Mantar.
In the evening, the two reached the Rambagh Palace Hotel where Modi hosted a dinner for Macron before they headed back to Delhi.
Jaipur was spruced up for the VIP visit, with Indian and French flags, and posters of PM Modi and Macron on all main routes. Around 20,000 school children lined the main JLN road. The enthusiasm among the public was palpable. Locals lined the streets to catch a glimpse of Macron.
The entire itinerary route was spruced up with flowers and rangolis. The main markets in the Walled City were given a fresh coat of paint and the roads were cleaned and freed of encroachments. All tourist monuments on the itinerary of the two heads of state and the markets were shut for tourists on Thursday. Tight security was in place with over 4,000 police personnel deployed in the Walled City, at Amber Fort and the airport.
Macron’s visit was aimed at not only boosting Indo-French ties but also promoting Jaipur and Rajasthan as a major tourist destination and showcasing the spread of the digital economy in India.
