First stop Akshardham Temple for Vances, 'kids loved it'

US Vice President J D Vance, his Indian-origin wife Usha and their three children began their India trip on Monday with a visit to the sprawling Swaminarayan Akshardham Temple near the banks of the Yamuna.

- TDG NETWORK

The Vances, who are here for a four-day visit during which they are also scheduled to travel to Jaipur and Agra, were at the temple complex for about an hour.

The children -- Ewan, Vivek and Mirabel, all three dressed in Indian attire -- were the cynosure of many an eye.

"Thank you all so much for your hospitality and kindness in welcoming me and my family to this beautiful place. It is a great credit to India that you built a beautiful temple with precision and care. Our kids, in particular, loved it. God bless," the vice president wrote in the temple guest book.

Once done, the family posed for camera crews outside the imposing facade of the temple.

"They were given a traditional welcome after which they had 'darshan'. A carved wooden elephant, a model of the Delhi Akshardham Temple and children's books were gifted to the family," a priest at the temple.

Temple volunteer Meera Sondagar added that the vice president was especially captivated by the intricately sculpted Gajendra Peeth, a plinth adorned with carvings of elephants that symbolises strength and wisdom.