Varanasi's Dashwamedh Ghat, where the Ganga arati is held, looks its festive best ahead of Shinzo Abe's visit.
After a day of business meetings and bilateral talks, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is giving Japanese Prime Minister a tour of his Lok Sabha constiutuency, Varanasi.
India's oldest city shares a sister city agreement with Japan's Kyoto, signed during PM Modi's visit to Japan in August last year.
The two leaders are at the fabled Dashashwamedh ghat, where a cultural extravaganza would be followed by "Ganga Arti" -- a beautifully choreographed daily ritual worship of the holy river, will be held.
A gigantic make-shift stage has been erected on the river bed with the help of pontoons and a music system has been installed with special permission from the Allahabad High Court.
The Army and the Navy personnel are guarding the make-shift stage from where the Premiers will enjoy a panoramic view of the event.
Mr Abe and PM Modi landed by a special aircraft at the Babatpur airport in Varanasi around 4 pm. As the two left, the ministry of external affairs tweeted, "Taking Japan to the heart of India. In a special gesture PM invites PM @AbeShinzo to fly together to Varanasi."
Mr Abe, who is on a three-day day visit to India, will also meet a select group of people, both Indians and of people of Japanese origin, residing in Varanasi.
The two leaders will fly back to Delhi after a banquet, in which various dignitaries, including Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, Governor Ram Naik and state ministers are likely to take part.
Japanese Embassy officials have been camping in the city for the past few days to take stock security arrangements for Mr Abe, whom PM Modi is likely to gift various items made by the artisans of Varanasi.
PM Modi, who represents Varanasi in Lok Sabha, has visited the city many times. But this is the first time when he is taking a foreign dignitary there for a visit.
The holiest pilgrim centre of the Hindus is located just 15-km from the Buddhist shrine of Sarnath, and thus occupies a special place in the religious and cultural consciousness of Japan and other South East Asian countries with sizeable Buddhist populations.
As part of the sister-city agreement, better known as the "Kashi-Kyoto pact", the ancient town will receive assistance from the former capital of Japan in overcoming its problems of traffic congestion, poor sanitation and crumbling infrastructure.