When British physicist Stephen Hawking visited India in January 2001, he praised Indians as being exceptionally good at mathematics and physics.
"Indians are so good at mathematics and physics", Hawking had told the then President K.R. Narayanan who he met at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Narayanan had described the 45-minute meeting with the British physicist as "an unforgettable experience".
According to Narayanan, Hawking was the "symbol of human hope and inspiration for all those who are handicapped in one way or the other".
It was Hawking's first-ever visit to India and he visited many cities during his 16-day stay.
In the first leg of the tour in Mumbai, Hawking addressed an international physics seminar at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR).
He was felicitated with the first "Sarojini Damodaran Fellowship" during the "Strings 2001" conference.
Hawking delivered several lectures during the five-day seminar, including one titled "The Universe in a Nutshell," Quartz reported on Wednesday.
Later, Hawking took a city tour in a specially designed vehicle from Mahindra & Mahindra that accommodated his wheelchair.
The physicist also celebrated his 59th birthday at the Oberoi Towers hotel where he stayed.
Hawking also visited Jantar Mantar and Qutab Minar.
He delivered the Albert Einstein Memorial Lecture in New Delhi on January 15.
Hawking, who shaped modern cosmology and inspired millions despite suffering from a life-threatening condition, died on Wednesday. He was 76.
(With IANS inputs)
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