PRIME Minister Narendra Modi was warmly welcomed upon his arrival in South Africa on Tuesday on a three-day official visit during which he will attend the 15th BRICS summit and hold bilateral meetings with several world leaders. Modi was welcomed by South Africa’s Deputy President Paul Mashatile at Waterkloof Air Force Base where he received a ceremonial guard of honour. “PM @narendramodi touches down at the Waterkloof Air Force Base, South Africa. Warmly received by Deputy President @PMashatile of South Africa. Accorded a ceremonial welcome upon arrival,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Arindam Bagchi said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. Prime Minister Modi’s three-day visit to South Africa entails participation in the 15th BRICS Summit and engagements with leaders of BRICS and invited countries in plurilateral and bilateral settings, he added. A large number of Indian community members, including activists of the Pretoria Hindu Seva Samaj and the local chapter of the BAPS Swaminarayan organisation, greeted him.

 

Modi then left for Sandton Sun Hotel in Johannesburg, the venue of the BRICS Summit. At the hotel, he met with local and expatriate Indian community members ahead of the BRICS Business Forum Leaders’ Dialogue. The Indian community members carrying musical instruments welcomed Prime Minister upon his arrival at the hotel. At the community meeting, Modi is expected to view a model of the huge Swaminarayan Mandir which has been under construction since 2017 and is expected to be completed next year. The new temple at North Riding, North of Johannesburg, will be similar to one in Nairobi in Kenya, which is built entirely of stone. It will also include classrooms and a clinic. Modi is visiting the African country from August 22 to 24 at the invitation of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. South Africa is hosting the first in-person summit of BRICS comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, since 2019. Earlier in his departure statement in New Delhi, Modi said BRICS has been pursuing a strong cooperation agenda across various sectors.

 

“We value that BRICS has become a platform for discussing and deliberating on issues of concern for the entire Global South, including development imperatives and reform of the multilateral system,” he said. PM Modi views model of Swaminarayan Temple in South Africa: PRIME Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday viewed a model of the under-construction Swaminarayan Temple here on Tuesday before taking part in the BRICS Business Forum Leaders’ Dialogue. The temple at North Riding, north of Johannesburg has been under construction since 2017 and is expected to be completed next year. Modi viewed the model of the temple while participating in a community event ahead of the BRICS Business Forum Leaders’ Dialogue, the first official event of the 3-day summit. It will be similar to one in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, which is built entirely of stone and will also include classrooms and a clinic. Built on 14.5 acres, the Swaminarayan Temple houses a 34,000 square metre cultural centre, a 3,000 seater auditorium, a 2,000 seater banqueting hall, a research institute, classrooms, exhibition and recreational centres.