Vibrant colours at Rashtrapati Bhawan

As the sun set on the Raisina Hill, the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhwan on Thursday came alive with vibrant colours from across the world.

Presidents and Prime Ministers of friendly nations, business leaders, politicians of every hue, film stars and public figures came together to witness Prime Minister Narendra Modi take oath for a second term in office.

As the clock struck 7pm, President Ram Nath Kovind walked down the majestic stairs of the front facade of the Rashtrapati Bhawan, escorted by the Presidential Bodyguards amid a fanfare sounded by the buglers.

Chants of ‘Modi, Modi’ rent the air as Modi’s name was called for administering the oath of office as leaders from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, Kyrgyz Republic and Mauritius watched the ceremony along with 8,000-strong audience.

Some enthusiastic guests were seen standing on the chairs to catch a glimpse of the Prime Minister being administered the oath of office and secrecy by the President Kovind. Modi took the oath in Hindi.

Next in line to be sworn-in as Cabinet Minister was Rajnath Singh, who is the senior-most minister after the Prime Minister. BJP President Amit Shah was called in next, indicative of the pecking order in the new government. After Shah, it was the turn of Nitin Gadkari, Sadananda Gowda, Nirmala Sitharaman, Ramvilas Paswan to take oath.

As twilight made way for darkness, some smart lighting brought out grandeur of the imposing yellow sandstone buildng and the swearing-in ceremony continue with the President administering the oath of office and secrecy to 25 Cabinet Ministers, nine Ministers of State (Independent Charge) and 24 Ministers of State.