New Delhi, March 13
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has thanked the people and the Mauritius government for the warmth he received during his two-day visit to the country.
PM Modi returned to Delhi on Thursday after concluding his State Visit to Mauritius.
He took to social media to express his gratitude. "I thank PM Dr. Navinchandra Ramgoolam, the people and Government of Mauritius for the warmth," PM Modi posted on his X handle.
He also shared the video highlights from the second day of his Mauritius visit.
PM Modi was the Chief Guest at Mauritius' National Day for the second time, the first was in 2015.
During the celebrations, President of the Republic of Mauritius Dharambeer Gokhool conferred the 'Grand Commander of the Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean' (G.C.S.K) award, the highest civilian award of Mauritius, on Prime Minister Modi.
This is the first time that an Indian leader has received this honour.
Prime Minister Modi dedicated this award to the "special friendship between India and Mauritius and to the 1.4 billion people of India and their 1.3 million brothers and sisters in Mauritius".
During the National Day celebrations, an Indian Navy marching contingent participated in the parade. An Indian Naval Ship also made a Port Call to coincide with the National Day celebrations.
In a special gesture, PM Modi was seen off by Mauritius PM Ramgoolam at the airport. "A milestone in India-Mauritius bilateral relations - our Enhanced Strategic Partnership will be a force of strength in the region. PM Narendra Modi departs from Mauritius after a very fruitful and memorable visit. In a warm gesture, PM was seen off by PM Ramgoolam at the airport," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) posted on X.
PM Ramgoolam had also warmly received Prime Minister Modi at the airport as he arrived in the Indian Ocean archipelago at the crack of dawn on Tuesday.
Just before leaving the Mauritian shores, PM Modi visited Ganga Talao, offered prayers and also immersed the holy water from the Triveni Sangam at the sacred site in Mauritius on Wednesday.
The Prime Minister's gesture of bringing the holy water from the revered Maha Kumbh Mela to Ganga Talao signifies not only the spiritual unity between the two nations but also their commitment to preserve and nurture the rich traditions that form the foundation of their shared cultural ties.
"It was a very emotional feeling to return to Ganga Talao in Mauritius. Standing by its sacred waters, one could feel the deep spiritual connection that transcends borders, binding generations of people to their roots," said PM Modi.
- IANS