Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the chief guest at a State dinner hosted by United States President Joe Biden and his wife Jill Biden on Thursday night (Friday morning IST). Modi - in the US for a three-day visit at Biden's invitation - arrived in Washington, D.C. late last night and attended a private event at the White House shortly after, where he was received by the Bidens.
Jill Biden spoke to US media about the dinner, "... guests will walk across the South Lawn into a pavilion draped in rich greens with saffron-colored flowers at every table... the colors of the Indian flag. On the transparent sides, those colors and the strength of the heritage they represent frame our nation's iconic scenery and symbols... our democracy and our history…"
"With this official State visit, we are bringing together the world's oldest and the world's largest democracies. After years of strengthening ties, the US-India partnership is deep and expansive as we jointly tackle global challenges," she said.
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"After dinner, we'll have the opportunity to hear one of our nation's incredible sounds... Grammy Award winner Joshua Bell. His performance will be followed by Penn Masala, a South Asian acapella group from the University of Pennsylvania who are bringing a little piece of my hometown to the White House... with songs inspired by the sounds of India."
What's on the menu?
{{/usCountry}}"After dinner, we'll have the opportunity to hear one of our nation's incredible sounds... Grammy Award winner Joshua Bell. His performance will be followed by Penn Masala, a South Asian acapella group from the University of Pennsylvania who are bringing a little piece of my hometown to the White House... with songs inspired by the sounds of India."
What's on the menu?
{{/usCountry}}Jill Biden said she had asked chef Nina Curtis - who specialises in plant-based cuisine - to work with the staff of the White House to create a 'stunning vegetarian menu', keeping in mind the fact Modi is a vegetarian. She said guests could order a fish course if they want.
READ | PM Modi US State dinner: What's on the menu? Full List
Modi, Biden exchange gifts
Ahead of the State dinner the two world leaders exchanged gifts. PM Modi gave Joe Biden a copy of the first edition of 'The Ten Principal Upanishads' that was published by London-based Faber and Faber. The US president was also gifted a sandalwood box with intricately-carved patterns made by a master craftsman from Rajasthan, with a Ganesha idol inside.
READ | Modi's special gifts for Joe, Jill Biden: Sandalwood box, green diamond: PICS
Modi also presented Jill Biden with a 7.5 carat, lab-grown (made in India) green diamond.
In turn, the Bidens gifted Modi an early 20th century handmade American book galley.
READ | Modi exchanges gifts with Joe Biden, Jill