From CP to Akshardham, delegates, kin venture out to explore Delhi

Louise Araneta-Marcos, wife of Philippine President Ferdinand R Marcos Jr, at the Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya on Saturday. (Photo courtesy: Prime Minister's Museum and Library)

From the summit halls to temple premises, coffee shops and markets, visiting delegates and their families on Saturday got a taste of Delhi beyond the formal BRICS schedule.

In the afternoon, Belarus Foreign Affairs Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov and his delegation stepped out for a visit to the Akshardham temple. He arrived around 4 pm and spent about an hour-and-a-half there, leaving around 5.30 pm. Security arrangements were put in place for the visit.

The diplomatic crowd also made its way to some of the Capital’s shopping and cultural destinations. Delegates from both Brazil and Russia visited the Khan Market.

“Some of the delegates from Brazil visited Khan Market yesterday. Today, again we were able to host a few delegates from Russia,” said Sanjeev Mehra, president of the Khan Market Traders Association. But the security cordon meant traders had little opportunity to interact with the visitors, he added.

At Connaught Place, delegates, spouses and family members dropped into popular bakeries and coffee shops, shopped and also posed for photographs with employees, said New Delhi Traders Association president Atul Bhargava.

“We have had foreign delegates, their spouses and extended families at Connaught Place today. They have been moving around freely and doing some shopping and enjoying some good food at Starbucks and Wenger’s,” he added.

Some visitors also spent time sitting on benches and in the open spaces around Connaught Place, said Bhargava. However, despite the crowd, traders said the overall footfall remained low as several roads remained blocked as part of the summit’s security arrangements.

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Moreover, the spouses and families of visiting leaders visited some of Delhi’s cultural attractions. Louise Araneta-Marcos, spouse of Philippine President Ferdinand R Marcos Jr; Zahra Pezeshkian, daughter of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Hassan Majidi, son-in-law of the Iranian President, visited the Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya.

According to a statement issued by the Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya, the visitors undertook a curated walk through blocks 1 and 2 and visited the Anubhuti section of the museum.

Further, union Minister Annapurna Devi hosted Louise Araneta-Marcos for a luncheon meeting.
During the meeting, Devi said she shared Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of women-led development and India’s commitment to empowering women as leaders and equal partners in shaping a prosperous future.

Devi has also hosted family members of heads of state at the Crafts Bazaar at Bharat Mandapam. With the spouses’ and families’ itinerary kept flexible, more Delhi landmarks, including the National Gallery of Modern Art, could find their way onto the list on Sunday, the final day of the summit.