Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth offered prayers at Dashashwamedh Ghat in Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi on Monday, following the two-day G20 World Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi, for which the island nation was invited as a guest. Dashashwamedh Ghat is one of the most important ghats in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, located on the Ganges River and in close proximity to the Vishwanath Temple.
In a video shared by the news agency ANI, Jugnauth was seen with a group of priests at the ghat, performing puja. The ghat is well known for ceremonies involving prayers to the Ganges River and Lord Shiva, typically conducted on a boat on the river.
Mauritius PM Jugnauth arrived in New Delhi on Friday to participate in the G20 Summit, having received an invitation from India. He was one of over 25 heads of state present during the summit, representing both member nations of the group and guest nations.
Expressing his delight at being invited to the summit, Jugnuath said, “I must thank the Govt of India, particularly PM Modi, for having invited Mauritius as a Guest Country to attend this G20 Summit. Mauritius is very honoured to be participating. We have contributed throughout the year and we are going to contribute to this Summit.”
In addition to Jugnauth, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murthy visited the Akshardham temple on the final day of the summit. Sunak, the first Indian-origin Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, expressed pride in his ‘Hindu’ roots upon arriving in India.
Bilateral meeting between Modi-Jugnauth
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Jugnauth on the day of his arrival and conducted a bilateral meeting with him. “PM @KumarJugnauth and I had a very good meeting. This is a special year for India-Mauritius relations as we mark 75 years of diplomatic ties between our nations. We discussed cooperation in sectors like infrastructure, FinTech, culture and more. Also reiterated India’s commitment to furthering the voice of the Global South,” PM Modi wrote on X about the bilateral meeting.
Mauritius has also agreed to join the Global Biofuels Alliance (GBA), an India-led initiative to facilitate the adoption of biofuels. The alliance was launched by PM Modi on the sidelines of the G20 Summit, and as many as 19 countries and 12 international organisations have already agreed to join.
The Mauritius Prime Minister also shared his views on the Delhi Declaration adopted during this year’s summit. “Delighted to have taken part in the unanimous adoption of the new Delhi declaration. Congratulations to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji @narendramodi and all heads of State and Government who made the choice of accelerated, green and sustainable progress #G20,” he wrote on X.
On the day of the summit’s conclusion, Jugnauth said, “My heartfelt thanks to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji @narendramodi for his invitation to the 18th G20 summit. The world is indeed one family. Our shared efforts for a better planet will foster peace, justice and sustainability.”
