In what appeared to be a repeat of the Madison Square Garden event in New York, the Allphones Arena in Sydney was brimming with music, dance and excitement ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first public address in the city today.
While dancers, musicians and children freely expressed their enthusiasm for their tryst with the Prime Minister, a flash mob gathered at the venue amid chants of 'Modi, Modi'.
"He has introduced cleanliness, and we recently went to Surat, and we could see what his government has done, and already Surat is looking quite cleaner," said a resident.
It can be expected that Prime Minister Modi will be given a rousing welcome by an approximately 16000-strong Indian Diaspora when he arrives at the Allphones Arena this afternoon.
On Monday, soon after his arrival in Sydney, Prime Minister Narendra Modi appreciated the warm and traditional welcome given to him by Australian Aboriginal artists.
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"Amazing welcome in Sydney. Glad to be here," he tweeted.
The artists also gifted him a boomerang.
Before leaving Brisbane, the Prime Minister had said he was looking forward to the event in Sydney.
"Thank you Brisbane. Leaving for Sydney. Looking forward to the Indian community programme," he tweeted.
Over 16,000 members of the Indian diaspora have gathered at Allphones Arena. Big screens have been installed outside the venue, and there is a festive atmosphere prevalent for the people wanting to attend or watch the event.
Around 220 fans of the Prime Minister travelled 11 hours on a specially chartered train called the 'Modi Express' for the Sydney event.
The Prime Minister will reach Australian capital Canberra this evening, where he is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with his Australian counterpart Tony Abbot and address a joint session of the Australian Parliament on Tuesday.
