French President Emmanuel Macron visited the Dargah Nizamuddin Aulia in the national capital on Friday evening (January 26). Macron was the chief guest at the 75th Republic Day 2024 celebrations at Delhi's Kartavya Path.
He reached the almost 700-year-old shrine- the nerve centre of Sufi culture in India- at around 9.45 pm and remained there for more than half an hour, they said.
Nizamuddin Dargah is the dargah of the Sufi saint Khwaja Nizamuddin Auliya situated in Delhi's Nizamuddin West area. The dargah is the mausoleum of the famous Sufi Nizamuddin Auliya and his disciple Amir Khusrau.
Earlier, President Droupadi Murmu received her French counterpart Macron at the Rashtrapati Bhavan and hosted a banquet in his honour.
Welcoming President Macron, she said the leaders of the two countries being guests of honour in each other's successive National Day parade and celebrations, is a historic moment, and "a symbol of the depth of our friendship and the strength of our partnership".
Relations between India and France:
Meanwhile, in a reaffirmation of the longstanding friendship between India and France, President Emmanuel Macron on Friday said, "Long live the friendship between France and India."
At the outset of his address during a banquet hosted by President Droupadi Murmu, Macron expressed heartfelt gratitude for the warm welcome extended to his delegation. Macron shared his appreciation for the unique bond that transcends time and shared values.
The French President acknowledged the exceptional welcome and recalled the five years since his last state visit, expressing his pleasure at returning to India after the resounding success of India's G20. Macron expressed deep honour in having French soldiers participate alongside their Indian counterparts, deeming it an unforgettable memory for the entire delegation.
"It is with the most pleasure that we are here and to come back five years after our former state visit and five months after the success of your G20. We were extremely honoured to be part of such an important and unique day and to have our soldiers being alongside with you and being part of this exceptional moment. I think this is for everybody here in this delegation, in our memories forever," he said.
(With agencies inputs)
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