On the eve of Republic Day, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron conducted a massive roadshow in Jaipur, Rajasthan. Macron, who is on a two-day official visit to India, will be the chief guest at the 75th Republic Day celebrations to be held in New Delhi tomorrow.The roadshow commenced at Jantar Mantar and concluded at Sanganeri gate with a stopover at HawaMahal, attracting swarms of citizens on the streets of the pink city. 

Arriving in Jaipur at approximately 2:10 pm on Thursday, Macron was welcomed by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Rajasthan Governor KalrajMishra, and Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma. Immediately after landing, Macron proceeded directly to the Amber Fort.

During this time, Macron embarked on a two-hour exploration of the majestic Amber Fort, a 16th-century monument perched on the Aravalli range, offering panoramic views of the city of Jaipur. The Amber Fort, along with five other hill forts, holds the distinction of being recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The delegation also browsed through artifacts on display at the temporary stalls set up near the entrance of the fort. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Diya Kumari were at the fort.

While Macron arrived in Jaipur in the afternoon, Modi reached at 4:30 pm. PM Modi joined him for a tour of Jantar Mantar, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Both leaders began their roadshow in an open jeep from the Tripolia gate to Badi Chaupad which was also the highlight of the high-profile visit.

Here, at the world-famous Hawa Mahal built in 1799 by Sawai Pratap Singh, Modi, and Macron had masala tea at Jaipur’s famous Sahu tea stall.

From Hawa Mahal, the leaders headed to the Albert Hall museum, where they took a tour of the museum built by British army officer and engineer Samuel Swinton Jacob in 1887.

Meanwhile, Indian PM Modi gifted a replica of Ayodhya's Ram Mandir to French President Emmanuel Macron in Jaipur.

Macron's visit to India follows a recent enhancement of bilateral cooperation between New Delhi and Paris, particularly in major areas such as defense.

During his visit, Emmanuel Macron will be accompanied, among others, by a ministerial delegation comprising Stephane Sejourne (Europe and Foreign Affairs), Sebastien Lecornu (Armed Forces), and Rachida Dati (Culture); a C-level business delegation of French majors, SMEs, and mid-caps; and other eminent personalities, including ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet.

Emmanuel Macron's state visit marks France's sixth participation, the highest of any other nation, as chief guest on India's Republic Day.

According to a statement from the French embassy, the discussions between Modi and Macron will cover defence cooperation, partnership in the expansive Indo-Pacific region, and strategies for addressing challenges such as terrorism, climate crisis, biodiversity loss, poverty eradication, as well as efforts to fortify business ties and encourage cross-investments.

Image source: PTI