PM hands over OCI cards to Mauritius leader, First Lady

In a special gesture, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday handed over OCI (Overseas Citizen Of India) cards to Mauritius President Dharambeer Gokhool and First Lady Vrinda Gokhool, on the first day of his visit to the island nation.

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Modi called on Gokhool at the State House and the two leaders exchanged views on deepening the special and close bilateral ties between India and Mauritius.

"In this context, they recalled the shared history between the two countries and the existence of strong people-to-people linkages. The prime minister noted that it was an honour for him to attend the National Day celebrations of Mauritius as Chief Guest for the second time," read a statement issued by Prime Minister's Office (PMO).

"The prime minister also visited the Ayurveda Garden in the State House, established in collabo ration with the Government of India. The prime minister noted that Mauritius is an important partner for India in advancing the benefits of traditional medicine including Ayurveda," it added.

After the talks, Gokhool hosted a State lunch in honour of Modi.

In a heartfelt gesture, Modi also gifted Mauri- tius president the holy Ganga water from Maha Kumbh which concluded on Feb.26 and saw more than 660 million pilgrims gather at the Triveni Sangam Prayagraj, making it the largest human gathering in the world.