Roadshow, Cultural Spectacle, Boost to Ties: Modi, Macron Bonhomie in Jaipur.

Jaipur: Rajasthan’s Jaipur laid down the red carpet for French President Emmanuel Macron’s arrival on Thursday with a grand welcome, showcasing the pink city’s rich culture as well as expertise in astronomy and town planning.

Macron, who is the chief guest of this year’s Republic Day, arrived in India on Thursday. He touched down in Jaipur around 2.10 pm and was received by external affairs minister S Jaishankar, Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra, and chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma. From the airport, Macron went straight to the Amber Fort.

In the interim, Macron took a two-hour tour of the grand Amber Fort, a 16th-century monument situated on the Aravalli range overlooking the city of Jaipur. Amber Fort along with five other hill forts are part of the hill forts of Rajasthan which have been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

At the Amber Fort, the French president was welcomed by Rajasthan deputy chief minister Diya Kumari. Macron interacted and took questions from excited schoolchildren who were present to welcome him. The children eagerly took selfies with the French president. While Macron arrived in Jaipur in the afternoon, Modi reached at 4.30 pm, and both leaders began their roadshow in an open jeep from the Tripolia gate to Badi Chaupad, which was also the highlight of the high-profile visit.

Here, at the world-famous Hawa Mahal built in 1799 by Sawai Pratap Singh, Modi and Macron had masala tea at Jaipur’s famous Sahu tea stall. The entire area was thronged by enthusiastic locals who chanted slogans of “Modi, Modi” and “Jai Siya Ram”.

From Hawa Mahal, the leaders headed to the Albert Hall museum, where they took a tour of the museum built by British army officer and engineer Samuel Swinton Jacob in 1887.

The two heads of state then took a guided tour of the Jantar Mantar, an astronomical observatory built in 1730 by Sawai Jai Singh, the founder of Jaipur. The monument is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

“This visit will give a push to tourism in Rajasthan which had fallen behind in the last five years… now development will speed up,” minister Kirodi Lal Meena said.

At the Amber Fort, Macron was shown the water harvesting system through which water from the Maotha Lake was channelled and stored in six underground water tanks and was drawn up to the fort through a rehat or Persian wheel system. He also saw the Diwan-e-Aam and Diwan-e-Khas and the Sheesh Mahal or Palace of Mirrors which was built by King Man Singh in the 16th century.

Macron interacted with handicrafts persons, painters, ironworkers, blue pottery, and textile artisans in the Amber Fort and showed interest in learning about how the traditional wares were made.

He then enjoyed a performance of the Kutchi Ghoda folk dance. The dancers wore colourful kurtas and turbans and imitation horse costumes and engaged in mock battles while a singer narrated tales of local heroes.

The enthusiasm among the public was palpable. Locals lined the streets to catch a glimpse of Macron. Locals also felt that Macron’s visit would boost tourism to Jaipur. Subhash Gupta, a garments store owner in Johri Bazaar, said the Modi government’s policies have hugely benefitted the country.

“We are very happy Modi ji is coming again to Jaipur. He is working for all sections of the society and making the country strong. The visit of the two leaders will give a boost to tourism,” he said.

Meanwhile, another group of men arrived from the Sanganeri gate with a huge saffron flag hailing Lord Ram and Modi. “Where there is Modi, there is Ram,” said a 50-year-old man while the municipality workers covered the bamboo at the barricades on both sides of the road with saffron and white clothes.

A group of women in all yellow sarees were also seen to be looking for the stage where Modi may stand.

“I came to see both of them. But I especially want to meet Modi. He has done a lot for us. We will thank him for the Ram temple,” a woman said.

Jaipur was spruced up for the VIP visit, with Indian and French flags, and posters of PM Modi and Macron on all main routes. Around 20,000 school children lined the main JLN road down which the French president’s carcade drove to Amber via Albert Hall and Hawa Mahal. Macron’s carcade drove slowly as he waved out to the children who were chanting “Welcome, Macron”. Since the past week, officials have been busy sprucing up the entire itinerary route. Flowers and rangolis bedecked the buildings, roads, and roundabouts, and folk musicians CM Sharma had himself inspected the preparations at the Amber Fort and the Walled City during the past two days.

All tourist monuments on the itinerary of the two heads of state and the markets were shut for tourists on Thursday. The main markets in the Walled City were given a fresh coat of paint and the roads were cleaned and freed of encroachments. Tight security was in place with over 4,000 police personnel deployed in the Walled City, at Amber Fort, and the airport, said Jaipur police commissioner Biju George Joseph.

In the evening, the two heads of state reached the Rambagh Palace Hotel where Modi hosted a dinner for Macron before they headed back to Delhi. Macron who is the chief guest at the 76th Republic Day celebration in Delhi on January 26 was in Jaipur for a six-hour visit that was aimed at not only boosting Indo-French ties but also promoting Jaipur and Rajasthan as a major tourist destination and showcasing the spread of the digital economy in India.