Washington DC:Â Â At a dinner hosted by President Barack Obama at the White House, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had only warm water, but asked the rest of the guests not to feel awkward on his account and continue with their meal, a foreign ministry official said.
A plate was put before the Prime Minister in accordance with protocol, but he stuck to the warm water he has been drinking right through the trip. Modi is now on the sixth day of the nine-day Navratri fast, a ritual he observes strictly every year.
Dinner for the rest was not all vegetarian after all. A crisped halibut (a kind of fish) found its way to the menu, served in a carrot sauce. There was also compressed avocados, goat cheese and baby bell peppers, micro basil, grape seed oil, roti crisps and saffron basmati rice. Mango creme brulee and ginger tuille were served for dessert.
A white wine from California accompanied the meal.
There were reports earlier that the White House could serve an all-vegetarian meal for the others and no alcohol. Â
A special nimbu-pani or lime water concentrate has reportedly been packed with Modi’s luggage, but the 64-year-old has so far been only drinking water.
In a whirlwind schedule packed with meetings and events, Modi has impressed audiences with his powerful and engaging speeches. Some of the guests at the Pierre A Taj hotel, where a dinner was held on Sunday evening, said they were taken by surprise with his strong handshake.
“There is no sign of weakness. He shook hands with hundreds at the dinner and many were talking about his firm grip,” said Zafar Sareshwala, a businessman from Ahmedabad.Â
There were nine guests each at dinner from the Indian and American sides. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Indian Ambassador to the US S Jaishankar and Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh were among the Indian guests, while Vice-President Joe Biden, Secretary of State William Burns, National Security Advisor Susan Rice and USAID’s Rajiv Shah were among the Americans present.Â