G20 Summit: World leaders arrive at Rajghat to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi received world leaders as they arrived to participate in a wreath-laying ceremony at Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed world leaders with a gift of khadi as they arrived at Rajghat one by one. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visited Rajghat to pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi. 

Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte also arrived at Delhi’s Rajghat to pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi and lay a wreath. The two leaders greeted each other and posed for the cameras. Mauritius PM Pravind Kumar Jugnauth arrived at Delhi’s Rajghat to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi.

Oman Deputy Prime Minister Asaad bin Tariq bin Taimur Al Said arrived at Rajghat. PM Modi welcomed him with a gift of khadi. Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong too visted Rajghat. 

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited Raghat to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi. 

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Asian Development Bank Masatsugu Asakawa, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, World Bank Chief Ajay Banga, International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva and other delegates arrived at Rajghat to pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi and lay a wreath.

After paying homage to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat, leaders and Heads of delegations will then move to Bharat Mandapam. A tree plantation ceremony will be held at Bharat Mandapam. The leaders will then participate in the third session ‘One Future’ of the G20 summit.

Earlier on Saturday, world leaders attended a G20 special dinner hosted by President Droupadi Murmu at Rajghat. They were greeted by President Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

To grace the special dinner with their presence, US President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Chinese Premier Li Qiang, and Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina arrived at the venue.

The leaders of Indonesia, Egypt, Australia, and other nations also came for the special dinner. President of the European Council Charles Michel along with his wife Amelie Derbaudrenghien Michel, World Bank president Ajay Banga, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, and Managing Director of IMF Kristalina Georgieva also reached Bharat Manadapam for the G20 dinner hosted by President Murmu.

For the special occasion, all guests were dressed to the nines. Many opted to embrace Indian fashion in special ways. From Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s wife Yuko Kishida to IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva and several top foreign dignitaries donned traditional Indian ensembles at the G20 Dinner hosted by President Murmu on Saturday night.

Kishida’s wife Yuko Kishida wore a beautiful green saree. She complemented her outfit with a pink blouse. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s wife Tshepo Motsepe donned an Indo-western outfit. She tied her hair in a bun and accessorised it with a gajra.

Furthermore, Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina exuded ethnic charm in a saree teamed with a pearl necklace. Moreover, IMF chief Georgieva arrived at Bharat Mandapam in Delhi for the G20 Dinner in a purple ethnic suit that she paired with a golden dupatta.