President of India in Mauritius on Sunday
Pratibha Patil expresses delight
The aircraft carrying Indian President Mrs Pratibha Patil will land at Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport at 4pm on Sunday at the start of a four-day State visit.
The presidential delegation will consist of the husband of the president, Dr Devisingh Ramsingh Shekhawat, her son Rajendrasingh Shekhawat, daughter-in-law Manjari, daughter Mrs Jyoti Rathore and her two grandchildren.
An official 15-delegation will also accompany Mrs Patil. She will be met on arrival by Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam before proceeding to the Royal Palm Hotel in Grand Bay.
On Monday, Mrs Patil will lay a wreath at the SSR Memorial at Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanic Garden in Pamplemousses. She will then leave for State House in Reduit where she will pay a courtesy call on the President, Sir Anerood Jugnauth.
After this, Mrs Patil will meet Dr Ramgoolam at the Clarisse House, where she will make a statement to the press.
Returning to her hotel, Mrs Patil will receive the Chief Justice, Mr Bernard Sik Yuen, and also the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Paul Berenger.
In the evening, the Indian president will attend a banquet hosted by the prime minister at the Intercontinental Mauritius Resort at Balaclava. On Tuesday, Mrs Patil will address and special session of the National Assembly before going to the Aapravasi Ghat.
After this, she will have lunch at State House. On Tuesday evening, Mrs Patil will meet members of the Indian community in Mauritius at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Indian Culture in Phoenix. She will also unveil a bust of Mrs Indira Gandhi, a former prime minister of India.
On Wednesday, Mrs Patil will visit the Ganga Talao and Le Morne World Heritage Site. On the final day of the visit, the Indian president will attend a business meeting at the Grand Bay International Conference Centre before going to the University of Mauritius where she will be awarded a Degree of Doctor Honoris Causa.
She will also visit the Mahatma Gandhi Institute in Moka. The Indian president will then leave for Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport.
