Six lakhs people attend Obama's inauguration ceremony for second term

Washington, Jan 22: Four years after scripting history by becoming America's first black President, Barack Obama on Monday began his second innings at the White House after being ceremonially sworn in as the US President with budget troubles, gun control and immigration issues lurking ahead.Standing before a crowd of thousands braving the chill at the iconic white-domed Capitol building draped in stripes, Obama renewed his oath of office for the second day in a row at the 57th inauguration ceremony of an American president.51-year-old Obama was sworn in for a second four-year term today by the Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts at the grand ceremony attended by his family, Congressmen, friends and staff and tens of thousands of people.Obama was officially sworn in yesterday as per the constitutional requirements under which the new term of the president begins on January 20 noon.Since this day happened to be on a Sunday when all the federal offices are closed, the ceremonial inauguration was held today; which is only for the seventh time in the US history.While the clouds of economic crisis and war that hovered over his first inauguration has vanished to a large extent, the mood of optimism and hope that infused his 2009 inauguration was missing to a large extent.While last time, there were an estimated 1.8 million onlookers, the crowd today hovered around a mark of about 600,000.His historic ascendancy to the White House in 2008 came with soaring public hopes and expectations for a new kind of governance that would close the vast partisan gulf developed in recent decades.The president and his wife Michelle Obama started the day at a church service at St. John's Episcopal Church, just across Lafayette Square from the White House. Vice President Joseph Biden and his wife, Jill Biden, joined the first couple at the service.Obama took the oath of office for his second term on two historic bibles – that of Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King. He looked confident and was seen smiling before his ceremonial swearing in and waved to the lakhs of cheering crowds."This is the celebration of our great democracy," said Senator Charles E Schumer, Chairman of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, as he invited Obama and the Chief Justice for the ceremonial swearing in."I Barack Hussein Obama do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States," Obama said with his hand on the historic bibles being held by First Lady Michelle and the two daughters Sasha and Malia standing alongside."So help me God," he said. "Congratulations Mr President," the Chief Justice said.Though there is no constitutional requirement for the use of a Bible during the swearing-in, Presidents have traditionally used Bibles for the ceremony, choosing a volume with personal or historical significance.In 2009, President Obama became the first President sworn in using the Lincoln Bible since its initial use in 1861.Vice President Joe Biden was sworn in by the Supreme Court Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor.Delivering a speech after his inauguration, Obama asked a divided America to join as 'one nation' and 'one people'"Now, more than ever, we must do these things together, as one nation and one people," Obama told the gathering.He vowed to make the battle against climate change one of the priorities of his second term."We will respond to the threat of climate change, knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and future generations," he said.