President Ram Nath Kovind and his wife Savita Kovind met Prime Minister Narendra Modi's nonagenarian mother Hiraba at her residence near Gandhinagar on Sunday on the last day of his two-day visit to Gujarat.
The president and the First Lady spent around half-hour with Hiraba at her residence in Raisan village in morning, where the latter lives with her younger son Pankaj Modi.
"President Kovind met Hira Baa, mother of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. The President conveyed his best wishes for her good health," said a tweet posted on the official handle of the president.
Later, Kovind and his wife visited Sri Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra, located nearby at Koba, and met Jain spiritual leader Acharya Padmasagar Surishwar.
The Kovinds also visited the Aradhana Kendra and Acharya Kailashsagar Suri Gyan Mandir, spending nearly an hour there.
He also visited the Samrat Samprati museum, where a rare collection of articles of Jain culture and Shrut tradition is preserved.
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"The president spent around an hour at the facility and met Acharya Padmasagar Surishwar to seek his blessings. Along with him was First Lady Savita Kovind. Governor Dev Vrat and Chief Minister Vijay Rupani were also present," a trustee of the Kendra said.
The president reminisced his over two-decade-old association with the Acharya, when he had interacted with various Jain Munis and community leaders as a Rajya Sabha member, and remained in touch with him ever since, said a government release.
Even after becoming president, Kovind attended a gathering in Mehsana organised to celebrate the Acharya's birth anniversary, it said.