Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s United States trip, a New Jersey-based restaurant has prepared a special ‘Modi Ji Thali’. Prime Minister Modi will embark on his first state visit to the US at the invitation of President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden on June 22.
In a ranking published by an agency earlier this year, PM Modi overtook US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to become the most popular leader in the world. PM Modi has a huge fanbase in India and overseas, and there is an outpouring of love and adulation from the Indian diaspora wherever he goes.
An Indian-origin Chef and owner Shripad Kulkarni of a New Jersey-based restaurant, Mehek Indian fine dining, has launched special ‘Modi Ji Thali’ ahead of PM Modi’s state visit to the United States. Chef Kulkarni curated this special thali which comprises dishes as diverse as the Indian landscape. The thali includes dishes like Khichdi, rasgulla, sarson ka saag, Kashmiri dum aloo, idli, dhokla, chaach, and papad. According to the Chef, the dishes were added in response to the demands of the Indian diaspora living there.
According to reports, the restaurant owner also has plans to introduce a second thali dedicated to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar soon. He states, “We plan to launch this thali soon. I’m very positive that it’s going to gain popularity once this does well. I also plan to launch a Dr Jaishankar Thali because he too has that rockstar appeal amongst the Indian American community”.
Recently, the United Nations declared 2023 as the “International Year of Millets” after a recommendation from the Indian Government in the year 2019. To celebrate this achievement and promote awareness of millets, the restaurant has consciously indulged in a lavish feast prepared using millets.
This is not the first time a restaurant has created a Thali dedicated to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Last year, a Delhi-based restaurant launched a ‘thali’ dedicated to PM Modi on his birthday on September 17.
ARDOR 2.1 restaurant, located in Connaught Place Delhi, will present the big-sized thali having 56 items with the customer having the choice of veg and non-veg food. The owner of the restaurant, Sumit Kalara, said, “I respect PM Modi Ji so much, he is the pride of our nation, and we want to gift something unique on his birthday, so we decided to launch this grand thali that we have named ’56inch Modi Ji’ Thali. We want to gift him this thali and want him to come here and eat. But, due to security reasons, we can’t do that, so this is for all of his fans who love him a lot. Please come and enjoy this thali”.
PM Modi State Visit
The US Congress invited PM Narendra Modi to address a joint House of Representatives and Senate meeting held on June 22, 2023. US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden sent the invitation. Additionally, a state dinner will be held on June 22, 2023.
In a letter sent by the US House Speaker Kevin Mc Carthy, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Republican leader Mitch Mc Connell, and House Democratic leader Hakeem Jefferies read- “During your address, you will have the opportunity to share your vision for India’s future and speak about the global challenges our both countries face”.
The letter further read that Modi’s “historic address to a joint Meeting of the Congress seven years before has left a lasting impact and greatly deepened the friendship between the two nations”.
While a group of Indian Americans are planning to go to Andrews Air Force Base when the Prime Ministers Air India One lands on June 21 afternoon from New York, more than 600 community members are planning to gather at Freedom Plaza in front of the Willard Intercontinental in Washington located near the White House where the PM will be staying.
On June 22, more than seven thousand of Indian Americans are planning to be on the South Lawns of the White House when President Biden and the First Lady would welcome the Prime Minister amidst a 21-gun salute.
In the US, PM Modi will also address the chairman and CEOs of top US companies at John F Kennedy Centre in Washington. Meanwhile, the White House said the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the US will be an opportunity to reaffirm the deep, close partnership between US and India.
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