Singing popular Bengali devotional songs, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday walked with members of her delegation to St. Peter's Basilica to participate in the canonisation of Mother Teresa.
Sporting a white saree with blue border, much like what the Nobel Laureate used to wear, Banerjee - flanked by Trinamool Congress parliamentarians Sudip Bandyopadhyay and Derek O'Brien among others - covered the six kilometre distance from Rome to the St. Peter's Basilica doing a traditional Bengali "prabhat pheri" (morning choir).
As the delegation crossed important junctions and marched through roads and lanes, crowds gathered and passersby stopped to listen to immortal Tagore creations "Aguner Poroshmoni".
They also sang devotional songs like 'Biswapita tumi he prabhu' and Mangaladeep jele', with Banerjee taking the lead.
O'Brien - dressed in the traditional Bengali wear of kurta and dhoti - and Bandopadhyay, clad in kurta-pyjama with a blue jacket, matched steps with Banerjee to witness the historic occasion for which dignitaries from across the globe have congregated.
Passionate about walking, Banerjee much like in Bengal, has never let go any opportunity to cover on foot distances during her foreign visits also. During her trips to Singapore and Bhutan, Banerjee and her team would often walk their way to famous tourist attractions.
Sporting small placards with the words "City of Mother Team Bengal", the team from Bengal reached the famous holy site in time to watch the canonisation ceremony which along with the entire world, Kolkata - Teresa'a adopted home - has been waiting for with baited breath.
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--IANS
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