By PTI
AHMEDABAD: Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Wednesday celebrated Holi at Raj Bhavan in Gujarat’s capital of Gandhinagar on the first day of his India visit and said the festival of colours signifies the triumph of good over evil and its message is an enduring reminder for all.
Albanese, who is on a four-day India trip, was welcomed by Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat and Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel at Raj Bhavan by applying colour on his face as a mark of Holi celebrations, said a state government release.
The ‘Holi Celebrations’ event was organised by the Governor in honour of the visiting dignitary and his delegation. Gujarat Assembly Speaker Shankar Chaudhary along with several state ministers were present on the occasion, said the release. Later, artists from different states, including Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, performed their traditional dance forms at the event.
The Australian leader posted photos from the event on Twitter and wrote, “Honoured to celebrate Holi in Ahmedabad, India. Holi’s message of renewal through the triumph of good over evil is an enduring reminder for all of us.”
“No matter what your faith is or where you’ve come from – we celebrate and value what unites us,” he said in another post.
No matter what your faith is or where you’ve come from—we celebrate and value what unites us. pic.twitter.com/wcowVPm4LW
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) March 8, 2023
Speaking at the event, Albanese said though it is his first official visit as the PM, he came to India as a youngster way back in 1991 and stayed in the country for six weeks.
He thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for inviting him and added he is excited to watch the fourth cricket Test match between Australia and India in Ahmedabad. The two PMs will watch the first day of the Test between India and Australia beginning at the Narendra Modi Stadium at Motera on Thursday.
‘Gandhian values continue to inspire world’
Earlier in the day, the Australian Prime Minister paid rich tributes to Mahatma Gandhi, saying his values and philosophy continue to inspire the world and a lot can be learnt from his life, as he visited the Sabarmati Ashram here.
Albanese arrived at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Airport in the city in the evening and headed straight to the Ashram, the former home of Mahatma Gandhi which also served as one of the main centres of India’s freedom struggle. He was welcomed at the airport by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, who also accompanied the visiting leader during the Ashram tour.
Australian PM Anthony Albanese pays homage to Gandhiji at Sabarmati Ashram. (Photo | PTI)Though it was not mandatory for visitors to remove footwear while walking on the open ground of the Ashram, the Australian PM did so out of respect for Mahatma Gandhi and the iconic place, said Ashram trustee Kartikeya Sarabhai.
The visiting dignitary also saw ‘Hriday Kunj’, a room inside the Ashram where the Indian independence hero lived. “He (Albanese) was amazed to see how khadi is weaved using a spinning wheel. The word ‘khadi’ was new to him, so our trustee Amrutbhai Modi, explained the entire process to him,” Sarabhai told reporters.
On behalf of the Sabarmati Ashram Preservation and Memorial Trust, Sarabhai and other trustees gifted to the visiting leader a book written by Australian author Thomas Weber on Mahatma Gandhi’s historic salt march. The Ashram gifted another book depicting the Father of the Nation’s life in Ahmedabad from 1915 to 1930, and a replica of ‘charkha’, or spinning wheel, to Albanese, who spent nearly 20 minutes on the premises.
In the visitor’s book, the Australian leader wrote that Mahatma Gandhi’s values and philosophy still inspire the entire world. “It is a great honour to visit, to pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi whose philosophy and life values continue to inspire the world today. We have much to learn from his example,” wrote the Australian PM in the book before leaving for Raj Bhavan.
ALSO READ | Indian degrees to be recognized in Australia, says PM Albanese
‘Looking forward to productive deliberations’
Meanwhile, PM Narendra Modi on Wednesday said he is looking forward to deliberations with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese to further the friendship between the two countries.
Tagging the Australian prime minister’s tweet in which he said he is bringing a delegation of ministers and business leaders to India today, Modi tweeted, “India eagerly awaits your arrival! Looking forward to productive deliberations to further the India-Australia friendship.”
Albanese said he was keen to further deepen Canberra’s multifaceted relationship with New Delhi at a time of extraordinary growth and dynamism, especially in areas of trade, security and people-to-people links. In Delhi, Albanese will be accorded a ceremonial welcome at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhawan on March 10, 2023.
Prime Minister Modi and his Australian counterpart will hold the Annual Summit to discuss areas of cooperation under the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, besides regional and global issues of mutual interest.
AHMEDABAD: Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Wednesday celebrated Holi at Raj Bhavan in Gujarat’s capital of Gandhinagar on the first day of his India visit and said the festival of colours signifies the triumph of good over evil and its message is an enduring reminder for all.
Albanese, who is on a four-day India trip, was welcomed by Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat and Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel at Raj Bhavan by applying colour on his face as a mark of Holi celebrations, said a state government release.
The ‘Holi Celebrations’ event was organised by the Governor in honour of the visiting dignitary and his delegation. Gujarat Assembly Speaker Shankar Chaudhary along with several state ministers were present on the occasion, said the release. Later, artists from different states, including Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, performed their traditional dance forms at the event.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
The Australian leader posted photos from the event on Twitter and wrote, “Honoured to celebrate Holi in Ahmedabad, India. Holi’s message of renewal through the triumph of good over evil is an enduring reminder for all of us.”
“No matter what your faith is or where you’ve come from – we celebrate and value what unites us,” he said in another post.
No matter what your faith is or where you’ve come from—we celebrate and value what unites us. pic.twitter.com/wcowVPm4LW
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) March 8, 2023
Speaking at the event, Albanese said though it is his first official visit as the PM, he came to India as a youngster way back in 1991 and stayed in the country for six weeks.
He thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for inviting him and added he is excited to watch the fourth cricket Test match between Australia and India in Ahmedabad. The two PMs will watch the first day of the Test between India and Australia beginning at the Narendra Modi Stadium at Motera on Thursday.
‘Gandhian values continue to inspire world’
Earlier in the day, the Australian Prime Minister paid rich tributes to Mahatma Gandhi, saying his values and philosophy continue to inspire the world and a lot can be learnt from his life, as he visited the Sabarmati Ashram here.
Albanese arrived at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Airport in the city in the evening and headed straight to the Ashram, the former home of Mahatma Gandhi which also served as one of the main centres of India’s freedom struggle. He was welcomed at the airport by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, who also accompanied the visiting leader during the Ashram tour.
Australian PM Anthony Albanese pays homage to Gandhiji at Sabarmati Ashram. (Photo | PTI)Though it was not mandatory for visitors to remove footwear while walking on the open ground of the Ashram, the Australian PM did so out of respect for Mahatma Gandhi and the iconic place, said Ashram trustee Kartikeya Sarabhai.
The visiting dignitary also saw ‘Hriday Kunj’, a room inside the Ashram where the Indian independence hero lived. “He (Albanese) was amazed to see how khadi is weaved using a spinning wheel. The word ‘khadi’ was new to him, so our trustee Amrutbhai Modi, explained the entire process to him,” Sarabhai told reporters.
On behalf of the Sabarmati Ashram Preservation and Memorial Trust, Sarabhai and other trustees gifted to the visiting leader a book written by Australian author Thomas Weber on Mahatma Gandhi’s historic salt march. The Ashram gifted another book depicting the Father of the Nation’s life in Ahmedabad from 1915 to 1930, and a replica of ‘charkha’, or spinning wheel, to Albanese, who spent nearly 20 minutes on the premises.
In the visitor’s book, the Australian leader wrote that Mahatma Gandhi’s values and philosophy still inspire the entire world. “It is a great honour to visit, to pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi whose philosophy and life values continue to inspire the world today. We have much to learn from his example,” wrote the Australian PM in the book before leaving for Raj Bhavan.
ALSO READ | Indian degrees to be recognized in Australia, says PM Albanese
‘Looking forward to productive deliberations’
Meanwhile, PM Narendra Modi on Wednesday said he is looking forward to deliberations with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese to further the friendship between the two countries.
Tagging the Australian prime minister’s tweet in which he said he is bringing a delegation of ministers and business leaders to India today, Modi tweeted, “India eagerly awaits your arrival! Looking forward to productive deliberations to further the India-Australia friendship.”
Albanese said he was keen to further deepen Canberra’s multifaceted relationship with New Delhi at a time of extraordinary growth and dynamism, especially in areas of trade, security and people-to-people links. In Delhi, Albanese will be accorded a ceremonial welcome at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhawan on March 10, 2023.
Prime Minister Modi and his Australian counterpart will hold the Annual Summit to discuss areas of cooperation under the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, besides regional and global issues of mutual interest.
