‘Namaste Putin’: From aarti to artworks, here's how India is gearing up to welcome Russian President

Ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to India this evening, extensive preparations have been made. The Russian leader, who will be in India for two days, is expected to land around 6:35 PM. Within hours of his arrival, he will be hosted for a private dinner by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The dinner is expected to be low-key, allowing both leaders to set the tone ahead of the formal summit.

What is on President Putin’s schedule?

On Friday, President Putin will begin his formal programme with a ceremonial welcome before proceeding to Rajghat to pay respects at Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial, a routine part of state visits.

He will then attend the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit at Hyderabad House, where Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to host a working lunch for him and his delegation.

How are common Indians welcoming Putin?

Residents of Varanasi performed aarti on the ghats and took out a welcome march, expressing goodwill ahead of the high-profile visit.

What special artworks have been created?

Odisha artist Manas Kumar Sahoo welcomed the Russian President to India with a detailed sand animation.

Over a period of two hours, in a display of skill and patience, the sand artist released a video showing the creation process, as President Putin’s portrait gradually appeared alongside iconic Russian monuments.

“Welcome President Putin to India, we have presented a sand animation of him, showed the art and culture (of Russia). In the coming days, hope that both countries continue to strengthen their relations, and both countries have peace and prosperity. It took us around 2 do this animation (sic),” sand artist Manas Kumar Sahoo said in the video.

In Amritsar, local artist Jagjot Singh has produced a handmade acrylic painting of the Russian leader.

In New Delhi, the Russian House organised a grand photo exhibition dedicated to the 25th anniversary of Russia’s Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation and the state arms exporter Rosoboronexport, ahead of President Vladimir Putin's visit to India.

The exhibition featured images of Vladimir Putin with India’s Prime Ministers over the last 25 years, including PM Modi, highlighting defence cooperation between the two nations.

It also showcased models of various defence systems from Russia and India, including the indigenous BrahMos missiles, the Russian S-400 missile system, and the Su-57E fifth-generation stealth fighter jets.

Several others on social media expressed happiness over the high-profile meeting and wrote: “Namaste Putin.”

(With inputs from news agency ANI)