US PRESIDENT Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden on Wednesday (21) hosted Indian prime minister Narendra Modi at the White House after the Indian leader reached the US capital from New York where he had an eventful day, including taking part in a yoga event on the occasion of the International Day of Yoga which saw people from 135 nations participating.
The trio were joined by Indian national security advisor Ajit Doval and his US counterpart Jake Sullivan at a private dinner.
Modi also exchanged gifts with the Bidens on the occasion. While he gave a handcrafted sandalwood box and a copy of the first edition print of the book, 'The Ten Principal Upanishads', to the US president and a 7.5 carat eco-friendly green diamond to the first lady, the American first couple presented him a handmade, antique American book galley, a vintage American camera, a hardcover book of American wildlife photography and a signed first edition copy of 'Collected Poems of Robert Frost'.
PM Modi received a handmade, antique American book galley from the Bidens.
The first couple also gifted him a vintage American camera, a hardcover book of American wildlife photography and a signed, first edition copy of 'Collected Poems of Robert Frost.
The sandalwood box gifted to Biden, who will turn 81 this November, contains a silver idol of Lord Ganesha, a diya (oil lamp) and 'Das Danam'.
'Das Danam' signifies donations made when a person becomes 'Drishta Sahasrachandro' or the one who has seen 1,000 full moons after completing 80 years and eight months. The diamond was placed in a box made of paper pulp, known as kar-e-kalamdani.
Modi was given a warm welcome by the Indian community on his arrival at the Joint Base Andrews airport, in Washington DC.
Modi has reached the US on a state visit, his first, and the third Indian leader to be accorded such an honour after former president Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan in 1963 and former prime minister Manmohan Singh in 2009. The state visit is seen as the highest form of expression of friendly ties and is reserved only for Washington's closest allies.
The Bidens will host a separate state dinner at the White House for Modi on Thursday (22) and it is likely to be attended by nearly 400 guests.
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