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2nd LD Writethru: Obama says it's great honor to be back in India

Xinhua, January 25, 2015 Adjust font size:

U.S. President Barack Obama Sunday said that it was a "great honor" for him to be back in India, after inspecting a guard of honor at the presidential palace in the national capital.

"Grateful for the extraordinary hospitality, it's a great honor to be back in India," President Obama said, after the ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhawan (presidential palace), where he was received by Indian President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

As he was on his way to the presidential palace, the White House tweeted, "President Obama is honored to be back in India to celebrate Republic Day and to begin a new chapter in the U.S.- India partnership. Jai Hind!"

From the Rashtrapati Bhavan, President Obama headed straight to Rajghat at the heart of the Indian capital, where he paid homage to the country's pre-independence icon Mahatma Gandhi, who was said to be one of the inspirational figures in the U.S. President' s political life.

After paying homage to Gandhi, the U.S. president went to Hyderabad House for a working lunch with the Indian prime minister.

Obama arrived in the Indian capital early this morning on a three-day tour, during which he will attend the country's Republic Day celebrations on January 26 as the chief guest.

He is not only the first U.S. president to visit India twice in his tenure, but he will be the first American leader to be chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations. Endi