Former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton arrives at a historical monument, at Mandu in Indore on Monday. (PTI photo)
Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is currently in India spending some leisure time in Madhya Pradesh — promoted by the state government as ‘Hindustan ka dil’. Clinton, who was in Mumbai for a conclave on Saturday, arrived in Indore a day later for a three-day private visit along with her family and friends. Thereafter, she left for Maheshwar, a town on the banks of the Narmada river in Khargone district, where she visited the Ahilya Fort.
The former US Secretary of State was in Maheshwar at the invitation of Richard Holkar, scion of the erstwhile Holkar kingdom. Maheshwar, some 91 km from here, was the capital of the erstwhile Holkar kingdom till January 6, 1818, after which Indore was designated as the capital under the reign of Malhar Rao Holkar III.
On Monday, she visited Mandu, home to historical monuments, in Dhar district of the state. Clinton spent two hours going around a number the historical sites.
Sporting a hat and sunglasses, she came out of Jahaz Mahal, built during the rule of Mandu Sultan Ghiyas-ud-din Khilji, and told reporters that she enjoyed visiting the historical sites.
“Well, today I’m just enjoying the magnificent archaeological site and learning a lot of the Indian history because of this beautiful palace ground. I am very excited about being here and everything that I have seen,” she said. The magnificent Jahaz Mahal was built in second-half of the 15th century to accommodate women belonging to the royal harem. It is located inside the walled Mandu fort.
Hillary Clinton sees the sights while in India for a private visit. More video: http://t.co/JxEBLwmUmJpic.twitter.com/XcYGonCFMl
— Reuters Top News (@Reuters) March 12, 2018
Clinton also visited other historical buildings in the vicinity, including the Hindola Mahal (swinging palace), Hoshang Shah’s Maqbara (mausoleum) and Jama Masjid. She later left for Maheshwar town in Khargone district.
Clinton, who was the Democratic Party’s candidate for the 2016 US presidential polls, was scheduled to interact with children of a local school in the evening. She also saw the world-renowned Maheshwari saree being weaved, an art started by Queen Ahilya Bai to help the downtrodden.
On Tuesday morning, she left for Indore from where flew to Jodhpur. She will leave for the US later today.
Speaking to a business conclave in Mumbai on Saturday, Clinton said democracies around the world were at a crossroads and the need of the hour was to strengthen them. She also was photographed with Bollywood actresses Karisma Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor Khan in the business capital of India. RELATED READ | Hillary Clinton swaps pantsuits for Indian kurta, while Karisma-Kareena Kapoor go contemporary
(With PTI inputs)