Donald Trump to visit Sabarmati Ashram for 15 minutes

US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania will visit the Mahatma Gandhi-founded Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad at around 12:10 pm on Monday.

At the said time, they will be received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and would be taken on a tour of the Ashram.

The tour, according to sources, will be centred around "Hriday Kunj," considered the heart of the Ashram where Gandhi and his wife Kasturba lived for 12 years between 1918 to 1932.

Senior officials said that Trump and Melania will remove their shoes and take a look at the charkha (spinning wheel) and the desk which Gandhi used during his stay. This is the first Ashram in India which was established by Gandhi on the banks of Sabarmati River after his return from South Africa.

"The POTUS (The President of the United States) and FLOTUS (First Lady of the United States) might also try their hands on spinning the charkha kept at the verandah of the Hriday Kunj. The whole programme will last not more than 15 minutes," said the senior officer.

Officials said that at the Ashram, Modi will gift a "Three Wise Monkeys" replica made of marble to his US counterpart.

They said that Modi will welcome Trump and his wife with garlands made of cotton thread as per the Ashram's traditions.

The Ashram officials will also present the book, The Story of my Experiments with Truth, made of Khadi paper to the US couple.

Ashram officials said that the book is a special edition printed by Navjivan Trust, established by Gandhi.

Sources said that trump and Modi, as per the schedule, will arrive separately in their own motorcades, however, given the history of breaking protocol, they might come together from the airport to Ashram where thousands of people will be lined up for the roadshow.

From Ashram, they are supposed to leave separately to Motera Cricket Stadium where "Namaste Trump" even will be held.

Before leaving the Ashram, Trump and Melania are also expected to sign the visitors' diary with their messages.

To host Trump, Ashram has been decked up by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation. It has laid out carpets, has constructed two separate greenrooms— for Modi and Trump— and tents have been erected.

Although Ashram officials said that the Ashram will be opened for visitors but from Monday morning till the motorcades of the two leaders leave the Ashram, no one will be allowed to enter.

Earlier, Modi has hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and Japanese PM Shinzo Abe in a similar fashion.