New Delhi, Sep 16 (NationPress) Prime Minister of Mauritius, Navinchandra Ramgoolam, honored Mahatma Gandhi and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in New Delhi on Tuesday.

Arriving in New Delhi on Monday night, Ramgoolam visited Rajghat to pay his respects to Mahatma Gandhi. He also commemorated Atal Bihari Vajpayee at the Sadaiv Atal memorial.

During his eight-day trip to India, he was greeted at the airport by Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth.

Before reaching the capital, he prayed at the Tirumala Temple in Tirupati with his wife.

On September 12, Ramgoolam, accompanied by his wife Veena Ramgoolam and a 30-member delegation, visited the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi temple. He is notably the second Head of State to worship Ram Lalla at the grand temple, following the Prime Minister of Bhutan.

Throughout his visit, the Mauritius Prime Minister was warmly welcomed by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who presented him with flowers, a souvenir, and a red-carpet reception. The atmosphere was filled with chanting, 'Kalash-Aarti', and the sounds of drums and conch shells, enhancing the spiritual ambiance.

Ramgoolam and his wife performed aarti and prayed before Ram Lalla, dedicating almost half an hour to devotion. They also took time to observe the ongoing construction at the temple site.

Additionally, last week, Ramgoolam prayed at the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi, accompanied by Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel.

On social media, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal shared images stating, "PM Dr. Navinchandra Ramgoolam of Mauritius offered prayers at the sacred Kashi Vishwanath Dham in Varanasi, reflecting the profound cultural and civilizational ties between India and Mauritius."

On September 11, Ramgoolam also participated in the Ganga Aarti on the Varanasi ghats. His eight-day visit included a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 11, where both leaders evaluated their bilateral cooperation.