India visit diary

Monday, 12 May 2008

Mawlana Hazar Imam meets with Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. Gary Otte

This morning, Mawlana Hazar Imam landed in New Delhi, commencing his eight-day Golden Jubilee visit of India. He was received at the airport by the Minister of State for External Affairs, Mr E. Ahmad, the Foreign Secretary, Mr Shivshankar Menon, the Chief of Protocol for the Government of India, Mr Sunil Lal, and leaders of the Jamat in India.

During the course of the day, Mawlana Hazar Imam met with the Minister of State for External Affairs, Mr E. Ahmad, the Honourable Vice President, Mr Mohammad Hamid Ansari, the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh and the Chairperson of the ruling United Progressive Alliance, Mrs Sonia Gandhi.

In the evening, Mawlana Hazar Imam was the guest of honour at a dinner hosted by the Vice President of India.

Tuesday, 13 May 2008

Mawlana Hazar Imam meets with the Honourable President of India, Mrs Pratibha Patil. Gary Otte

Mawlana Hazar Imam began his day by visiting the Sundar Nursery and Nila Gumbad.

In addition to housing and protecting hundreds of plants, the Sundar Nursery also includes a number of ancient monuments, many of which date back to the Mughal period. The Aga Khan Trust for Culture is currently working on the preservation of these monuments.

Both Sundar Nursery and Nila Gunbad – also a historic monument which AKTC is helping to restore – are located around Humayun's Tomb. The revitalisation of the Gardens of Humayun's Tomb was the first privately funded restoration of a World Heritage Site in India. It was completed in 2003 through the joint efforts of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture and the Archaeological Survey of India under the aegis of the National Culture Fund.

Later in the day, Mawlana Hazar Imam met with the Honourable President of India, Mrs Pratibha Patil and with the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Lal Krishna Advani.

In the evening, Mawlana Hazar Imam hosted a reception for the diplomatic corps of India.

Wednesday, 14 May 2008

Mawlana Hazar Imam waves at members of the Jamat who lined the streets around Hyderabad airport to welcome him. Hussain Jiwan

Today, Mawlana Hazar Imam travelled to Hyderabad where he was greeted at the airport by Government representatives and leaders of the Jamat. The Jamat of Hyderabad lined the streets around the airport to welcome Hazar Imam.

While in Hyderabad, Mawlana Hazar Imam met with the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Dr Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy and the Governor of the state, Mr Narayan Dutt Tiwari.

Mawlana Hazar Imam also visited the site of the Aga Khan Academy in Hyderabad, where he had laid the foundation stone of the Academy in 2006. At the site, he reviewed plans with the architects.

In the evening, Mawlana Hazar Imam flew to Mumbai where thousands of cheering members of the Jamat waved flags and greeted the Imam.

Thursday, 15 May 2008

Mawlana Hazar Imam smiles as he looks at photographs of his visit to the Diamond Jubilee High School in 1958, and Princess Zahra's inauguration of the new site of the school in 2007. Gary Otte

This morning Mawlana Hazar Imam visited the Prince Aly Khan Hospital in Mumbai.

Established in 1945, the hospital was named after Hazar Imam's father, Prince Aly Khan, who donated the land upon which it was built. Thousands of members of the Jamat gathered outside the hospital, located on the Aga Hall Estate, to welcome Mawlana Hazar Imam.

During his visit, Mawlana Hazar Imam toured the facility. He also met with the Senior Management of the hospital and the Directors of the Aga Khan Health Services in India.

From the hospital, Mawlana Hazar Imam went to the Diamond Jubilee High School in Mumbai.

Originally established in 1947 following the Diamond Jubilee of Imam Sultan Mahomed Shah, the school was last visited by Mawlana Hazar Imam in 1958. In 2007, it moved to a new site which was inaugurated by Princess Zahra.

During his visit, Mawlana Hazar Imam reviewed the school facilities and met briefly with the Directors of the Aga Khan Education Service in India.

Friday, 16 May 2008

Mawlana Hazar Imam meets with the Governor of Gujarat, Mr Nawal Kishore Sharma, in Ahmedabad. Gary Otte

Departing Mumbai early in the morning, Mawlana Hazar Imam arrived in Ahmedabad today. There he met with the Chief Minister of Gujarat, Mr Narendra Modi and the Governor of the state, Mr Nawal Kishore Sharma.

In the afternoon, Mawlana Hazar Imam travelled by helicopter to the small Gujarat town of Sidhpur for the first of three Golden Jubilee Darbars. The Jamat from across the state of Gujarat, had travelled to Sidhpur for this Darbar which was held at a site specially constructed to accommodate over 50 000 people.

Following the Darbar, Mawlana Hazar Imam returned to Mumbai.

Saturday, 17 May 2008

This afternoon, Mawlana Hazar Imam granted a Golden Jubilee Darbar to the Jamats of Western India which had gathered at the Bombay Exhibition Centre in Goregaon.

Sunday, 18 May 2008

Mawlana Hazar Imam together with performers who had danced earlier in the evening at the Jamati institutional dinner. Rafiq Khimani

This afternoon, the Jamats of South, Central, North and East India gathered in Mumbai for the third Golden Jubilee Darbar of Mawlana Hazar Imam's visit to India.

In the evening, the Jamati Institutions of India hosted a dinner in honour of Mawlana Hazar Imam. Children from the Jamat presented a series of dances representing the various Indian traditions. A gift was also presented to Mawlana Hazar Imam on behalf of the leadership of Indian Jamati Institutions.

Monday, 19 May 2008

The leadership of the Jamat of India gathered at Mumbai International Airport to bid an emotional farewell to Mawlana Hazar Imam this morning at the end of his seven-day Golden Jubilee visit to India.

On departing India, Mawlana Hazar Imam proceeded to Dhaka to commence his Golden Jubilee visit to Bangladesh.

Additional photographs are available in the Delhi, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra / Gujarat galleries, and on the AKDN website.