Chinese President Xi Jinping will take back some good memories from his visit to Gandi Ashram. Xi Jinping wore an off-white Khadi jacket presented to him by Prime Minister Narendra Modi soon after his arrival at the ashram.
Xi was received by Modi and Chief Minister Anandi Patel at the gates of the ashram. They offered cotton garlands to Xi and accompanied him to different rooms in the ashram which was home of the Mahatma Gandhi for about 12 years and his wife Kasturba Gandhi.
Later, Xi paid homage to Gandhi there even as the Prime Minister explained Gandhi's writings in Hindi and English to the president. Sources said that Xi took off his shoes and sat bare feet on the floor to spin charkha at Hriday Kunj where Mahatma Gandhi lived. Modi too joined him.
Modi gifted two books - Gandhiji in Ahmedabad and Gita translated in Mandarin language, an oil painiting of Dandi March and replica of a certificate that Chinese community in South Africa gave to Gandhiji when he was there apart from the Yerwada Charkha. Young girls sang Gandhiji's favourite bhajan Vaishnav Jan for the President.
Kartikeya Sarabhai, trustee of Sabarmati Ashram Prevention and Memorial Trust said that after the exhibition, Jinping garlanded Gandhiji's statue at the Ashram. “As a token of love, we gifted him an oil painting of Dandi Kuch, a framed replica of a certificate that the Chinese community in South Africa gave to Gandhiji to thank for his leadership for Asian community (before 1915). We also gifted him a copy of the Gita and a book on Gandhiji in Chinese language and a Yerwada Charkha,“ he said.
Jinping and Modi were very relaxed and as a host, Modi guided the Chinese President's visit to the ashram. Kasturba's saree was brought out from the archive and displayed for the visiting dignitary. Pointing to the river, Modi explained the significance of river in Indian culture.
Jinping's convoy reached the ashram around 5 pm and stayed little longer than scheduled time of 22 minutes visit. They left after around 35 minutes.
