President Ram Nath Kovind Tuesday arrived in Bulgaria and met his Bulgarian counterpart Rumen Radev who received him at the hotel where the Indian delegation is staying.
President Kovind arrived in the capital Sohia from Cyprus where he met his Cypriot counterpart Nicos Anastasiades and held wide-ranging talks.
He is on the second leg of his three-nation visit to Europe to continue India's high-level engagements with European countries.
"In a special gesture, President Radev and the First Lady of Bulgaria received President Kovind at the entrance of the hotel where the Indian delegation will be staying," President's Secretariat said in a tweet.
"President Radev spoke to President Kovind of his admiration for Indian culture, specifically mentioning Buddhism and yoga, the Gita and the Mahabharata. In light-hearted banter the two dignitaries also discussed the Bulgarian President's favourite Hindi film Haathi Mere Saathi," it said.
President Kovind and the and the First Lady were received by Bulgaria's Deputy Prime Minister Ivo Hristov at the airport.
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Kovind is the fifth Indian President to visit Bulgaria and the first in 15 years.
From Bulgaria, he will fly to Czech Republic on the final leg of his three-nation trip on September 6.
During the visit, Kovind will have a meeting with President Radev, who will host a Banquet in his honour. Prime Minister of Bulgaria Boyko Borissov will call on President Kovind.
Kovind will address the business representatives of India and Bulgaria at a Business Forum. He will deliver a lecture at the Sofia University and will also address the members of Indian diaspora during the visit.
This is his first overseas state visit in the second year of his presidency.