PM Modi and Emmanuel Macron took a boat ride on the Ganga river in Varanasi.
On Monday afternoon, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron took a boat ride on the Ganga river from Varanasi's Assi ghat to the Dashashwamedh ghat, a distance of about 500 metres. A motorboat called the "Kailasha" was readied for the visiting French leader to enjoy the famous river tour along the ghats of the ancient city, which is also PM Modi's parliamentary constituency. The Prime Minister arrived at Varanasi's Lal Bahadur Shastri International airport this morning and received Mr Macron, who arrived a little later from Delhi by a special plane.
Here are the top 10 updates on Emmanuel Macron's visit to Varanasi:
After the reception at the airport, the two leaders flew by helicopter to Mirzapur, where they inaugurated a 100-megawatt solar plant built by the French company Engie.
They returned to Varanasi and visited the Deen Dayal Hastkala Sankul to interact with artisans. The leaders also witnessed a live demonstration of their crafts.
The boat came next, after which PM Modi and Mr Macron head to the Taj Hotel, where the Prime Minister will host lunch for the French president.
PM Modi then went to the Manduadih railway station by road, where he flagged off a Varanasi-Patna intercity train. He will then make a public address at a big ground in Varanasi and then will fly back to Delhi from the Varanasi airport.
The French president will stay at the Taj hotel for a few hours before flying back to Delhi by his special plane.
On Sunday, the two leaders met in New Delhi to co-host the first edition of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) Summit at Rashtrapati Bhavan. PM Modi presented a 10-point action plan to make affordable solar technology available to all nations, which included raising the share of electricity generated from photovoltaic cells in the energy mix, framing of regulations and standards and consultancy support for bankable solar projects.
The solar alliance, which aims at promoting solar energy and reduction in the use of fossil fuels in energy-rich countries, was launched in November 2015 at the Paris climate summit by PM Modi and former French President Francois Hollande.
Emmanuel Macron said that while some (the US) decided just to leave the Paris Agreement, others decided to act. France will extend an extra 700 million euros ($861.5 million) through loans and donations by 2022 for solar projects in emerging economies, he said.
PM Modi, welcomed Mr Macron with a bear hug on his arrival on Friday. France's 40-year-old president and his wife Brigitte on Sunday also visited the Taj Mahal.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Varanasi when he visited India in December 2015.
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