Indus Valley Times

NEW DELHI , SEPT 10 : British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty reached the Akhshardham temple in Delhi on Sunday morning to offer prayers. Sunak, who is in Delhi to attend the G20 Summit, called himself a “proud Hindu” on Friday during a media interaction, expressing his will to visit a temple during his stay in the national capital.

The couple spent about an hour at the temple, sources said. Speaking about the visit, the director of the Akshardham temple, Jyotindra Dave, said Sunak went barefoot inside the temple — a tradition followed by Hindus while visiting a temple. “After meeting him, we felt like he is very close to Sanatana,” the director said.

 “Rishi Sunak had contacted us, asking to have darshan at the temple. He had asked us what time he could visit. We told him he could come whenever he feels like,” Dave said. “He performed aarti at the temple, met the saints here, also offered flowers to all the idols in the temple. His wife also performed the puja,” the director told India Today.

“We showed him around and also gave him a model of the temple as a gift. He enjoyed every minute here..His wife was also very happy. He said whenever I get a chance, I will keep coming,” the director added.

Ahead of their visit, the security arrangements around the temple were heightened with several police officials deployed there. A senior police officer said pickets have been put in place in the area. A checking routine is already underway in the city due to the ongoing G20 Summit, he said in a statement on Saturday.

Earlier on Friday, Sunak said he celebrated the Hindu festival Raksha Bandhan, but did not get a chance to celebrate Krishna Janmasthami, so he hoped to “make up for it” by visiting a temple.

“I’m a proud Hindu, and that’s how I was raised. That’s how I am. Hopefully, I can visit a Mandir while I’m here for the next couple of days,” he told the news agency ANI on the day he arrived in Delhi with wife Akshata Murty.

Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty landed in Delhi on Friday to participate in the two-day G20 Summit that commenced on Saturday.

Their arrival was marked by a warm welcome from Union Minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey, who greeted them with a “Jai Siya Ram.” As a token of hospitality, they were presented with Rudraksh beads, a copy of the Bhagavad Geeta, and a Hanuman Chalisa.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Sunak on the sidelines of the G20 Summit on Saturday and discussed ways to deepen trade linkages and boost investment. A multi-layer security cover has been put in place around the Pragati Maidan area in central Delhi where the Summit is being held. Traffic regulations in New Delhi and the bordering areas have been intensified.

-The India Today