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Rajasthan set to expose Clinton to royal heritage

Kamla Bora in Jaipur

Rajasthan is all set to roll out the red carpet for US president Bill Clinton who will be spending two nights in Jaipur.

Clinton will arrive in Jaipur on the night of March 22 from Agra after visiting the Taj Mahal. He will head straight to Raj Vilas, an Oberoi-run hotel on the outskirts of Pink City, by helicopter, to a warm welcome by Rajasthan Governor Anshuman Singh and Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.

The American administration has booked the entire hotel during the president's stay for security reasons. Apart from the hotel's own helipad, the Rajasthan administration has constructed 15 more helipads to help Clinton and his entourage shuttle between the hotel and Nayala village, Amber fort and the Ranthambhore tiger sanctuary.

After an overnight stay at Raj Vilas, the US president will visit village Nayala, about 18 km from Jaipur, to see how Panchayati Raj institutions function in rural India. Elected village representatives would be discussing their programmes in Clinton's presence.

The US president will also be witnessing women empowerment efforts at Nayala where members of the local milk cooperative society run by women would transact business, use computers etc.

Nayala is being packaged by the administration as Clinton's window to rural India. The rural folk likely to interact with the US president have been persuaded to keep their veil off on this occasion .

After viewing Indian democracy at the grassroots level, Clinton will fly to Amber, the historic capital of Dhundar region and original home of the erstwhile Jaipur rulers. At the historic Amber fort atop Aravalli hills, a traditional, royal welcome awaits the president. Renowned folk singer Bano Begum would be singing Rajasthani Maand, including her famous 'Padharo mhare desh' (come to my land), to the accompaniment of folk dancers.

An exhibition of traditional skills of Rajasthani craftsmen and women is also being put up at Amber to give Clinton a feel of art and culture of the desert land.

The US president will then fly to Ranthambhore, to see the big cats in the wild.

Clinton will return to Raj Vilas in the evening after a hectic day to spend the second night there.

Refreshed, no doubt, Clinton will fly on to Hyderabad on March 24 from Sanganer airport.

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