FRENCH PRESIDENT EMMANUEL MACRON GETS IMBUED IN THE COLOURS OF SPELLBINDING CITY PALACES AND SOUNDS: AN INTEGRAL PART OF JAIPUR'S ETHOS

Hello, Everyone!

French President Emmanuel Macron is the chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations in Delhi on 26th January 2024 and visited Jaipur on Thursday(25th January 2024)around 2:30 Pm a day before the Republic Day parade in Delhi. The French delegation was welcomed at the Jaipur airport amidst stringent security by external affairs minister S Jaishankar, Rajasthan governor Kalraj Mishra, and Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma.

Let’s delve into the key events of Emmanuel Macron's visit to the Pink City.

VISIT TO THE AMBER FORT

President Macron's initial stop was a two-hour trip of the sandstone rock splendor Amber Fort which was built in the 16th century and placed over Aravelli hills overlooking Rajasthan.

 The Amber Fort is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is India’s architectural marvel. The fort’s architecture exhibits a captivating mélange of Mughal and ingenious style.

French president Emmanuel Macron was accompanied and taken around by Rajasthan deputy chief minister Diya Kumari who belongs to the royal family of Jaipur. He then meets schoolchildren from various cities like Jaipur, Jodhpur, and Kota assembled at the fort to greet him. The school children questioned him in French and he replied in French too.

He also demonstrated a robust water harvesting system, which plays a pivotal role in coping with the fort's water requirement. The water from the Maota Lake is distributed and kept in six underground water tanks and is brought up to the fort via a Rehat or Persian wheel system.

 He then enjoyed the “Kutchi Ghoda” folk dance of Rajasthan where the folk dancers wore turbans, kurtas, and dhotis and imitated riding an imitation horse and recreated a dramatization of mock battles. While enjoying the folk dance President Macron also communicated with handicrafts, artisans, painters, and blue pottery workers.

PRIME MINISTER MET FRENCH PRESIDENT MACRON AT JANTAR MANTAR ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATORY

Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in Jaipur by around 4:30 pm and then greeted President Macron at Jantar Mantar, an astronomical observatory constructed by Sawai Jai Singh who was a ruler of the Rajput State of Amber in 1730. Jantar Mantar was enlisted in the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2010.

ROADSHOW “SHOBHA YATRA”

President Macron with Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a 1.7 Km roadshow in an open SUV where they were greeted by a multitude of people. The roadshow commenced from Jantar Mantar to Sanageri Gate with a stoppage at Hawa Mahal.

PRESIDENT MACRON GETS AYODHYA RAM TEMPLE MOMENTO

President Macron and Prime Minister Modi visited a handicrafts shop near Hawa Mahal where Prime Minister Modi presented President Macron with a memento of Ayodhya Ram temple for which 500 Indian Rupees were paid through a UPI transaction.

VISIT THE ALBERT HALL MUSEUM

Prime Minister Modi and French President Macron visited the Albert Hall Museum which was built by British Army Officer and engineer Samuel Swinton in 1887 from Hawa Mahal.

VISIT TO RAMBAGH PALACE HOTEL FOR TALKS

The dignitaries then poised for official talks at Rambagh Palace Hotel where they had official talks on all essential elements of India-France ties. PM Modi organized a dinner for President Macron before they aimed for Delhi for Republic Day celebrations.

REFERENCES

HINDUSTAN TIMES NEWSPAPER ON 26TH JAN 2024 –NEWS TITLE:

MACRON SOAKS IN SIGHTS, AND SOUNDS OF PINK CITY AHEAD OF DELHI VISIT