Prez begins 2-day Gujarat tour, visits Sabarmati Ashram

Ahmedabad: President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday began his two-day Gujarat tour by visiting Mahatma Gandhi's Sabarmati Ashram here.

Kovind, who is visiting Gujarat for the first time after becoming the president, was greeted by Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, Governor O P Kohli and other dignitaries at the city airport this afternoon.

From the airport, the president went straight to the Sabarmati Ashram, where Mahatma Gandhi lived between 1917 and 1930. Kovind offered his floral tributes at Gandhiji's statue inside the Ashram, which is managed by the Sabarmati Ashram Preservation and Memorial Trust.

Chairperson of the trust, Elabehn Bhatt, along with trustees Kartikeya Sarabhai and Amrut Modi accompanied Kovind during his brief tour of the Ashram, which is celebrating 100-years of its establishment.

During his visit, Kovind planted a tree on the premises of the Ashram. He also held talks with the trustees about the ongoing work of preserving the Gandhian-era documents and letters.

The president also visited 'Hriday Kunj', a house inside the Ashram where Gandhiji and his wife Kasturba once lived. Before leaving, Kovind also wrote a message in the visitors' book outside Hriday Kunj.