With an elaborate menu reflecting India’s diversity, peppy music by military bands, and a prayer on the lips of officials to keep the rain away, the Rashtrapati Bhavan is all set to host its biggest party ever.
If Narendra Modi’s victory in the general election was spectacular, his swearing-in ceremony on Monday will be equally dazzling.
For the first time, the Rashtrapati Bhavan will host a record 4,000 guests.
This is also the first time that the heads of state or government of eight countries, including the seven Saarc states, will witness the oath-taking ceremony of an Indian prime minister.
The rarity of the occasion will be further expanded as President Pranab Mukherjee will host a dinner for the foreign leaders soon after administering the oath to Modi and his Council of Ministers.
Before moving into the grey dining hall, the visiting foreign dignitaries will use the opulent guest wing of the President’s House to get ready for the last event.
Officials said the biggest swearing-in ceremony so far was that of Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 1998, which was also held in the forecourt, breaking away from the tradition of hosting such events in either the Durbar Hall or Ashok Hall.
Around 1,200 guests attended Vajpayee’s oath-taking ceremony.
Preparations were on in full swing on Sunday to prepare the sweeping forecourt, but it has been a race against time for officials, who got only five days to prepare for the grand event.
President Pranab Mukherjee has kept a close tab on the preparations.
Officials, however, are keeping their fingers crossed after an adverse weather forecast, including a prediction of thundershowers on Monday.
Umbrellas have been kept ready to deal with the possibility of light rains on the forecourt in the evening.
In case of heavy showers, Durbar Hall has been kept ready as a contingency venue. But that would mean accommodating fewer people as the Durbar Hall has a seating capacity for 500 people, while another 350 can stand in the nearby corridor.
Apart from rain, another weather challenge for the organisers is the intense summer heat.
With day temperatures touching above 40°, the evenings, too, are quite warm. Guests have been asked to be seated by 5pm, when the sun starts setting.
Four-layer security cover
Massive security apparatus is in place for the grand swearing-in ceremony of PM-elect Narendra Modi.
Security forces comprising teams of the National Security Guard (NSG), the Delhi Police, the Special Protection Group (SPG), the Indian Air Force and paramilitary forces will provide a four-layer security cover for the event.
“Paramilitary commandos and police sharpshooters will be deployed as part of the security blanket with Delhi Police personnel handling the outer layer,” Delhi Police Joint Commissioner (New Delhi Range) M.K. Meena said on Sunday.
To secure the skies, the Indian Air Force has also activated a Delhi integrated air defence control centre in Aaya Nagar, south Delhi.
Various security agencies have already conducted drills.
The SPG has also taken over Gujarat Bhawan, where Modi was staying, and they have also carried out drills on the stretch from Gujarat Bhawan to Rashtrapati Bhavan.
THE BIG FEAST
The menu has been carefully chosen to represent different states of India
VEGETARIAN: Chilled melon soup, tandoori aloo, arbi ke kebab, veg stew, karhi, Birbali kofta, Jaipuri bhindi, Kela Methi nu Shak, dal makhni, potol dorma, steamed rice and assorted Indian breads
NON-VEGETARIAN: Chicken hazari, galouti kebab, prawn stew, chicken chettinad
DESSERT
Mango shrikhand, pineapple halwa, sandesh and cut-fruit shrikhand
Dinner to end with green tea, South Indian coffee and pan
EVENING SNACK: Moong dal ki kachori, cucumber sandwiches, imarti and dhokla; kebabs for non-vegetarians