VADODARA: During the Gaekwadi era, the ornate durbar hall of Laxmi Vilas Palace hosted many lavish banquets and concerts for royals and state officials. On Oct 28, the palace will, for the first time, host two heads of govt, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez hold a meeting there.
Modi and Sanchez will also have lunch at the Gaekwad royal residence, preparations for which are in full swing.
"It's for the first time that two heads of govt are being hosted in the Laxmi Vilas Palace. PM Modi is also visiting the palace for the first time since he became PM. The palace is being decked up for the visit and we will ensure that the dignitaries get a proper welcome," the royal scion Samarjit Gaekwad told TOI.
He added that the palace has been given a detailed schedule of Modi's visit. On whether there have been specific requests for the cuisine considering Modi's preference for vegetarian food, Gaekwad told TOI, "As of now, we haven't got such requests, but we have a variety of vegetarian cuisine to offer. The PMO's team takes all the decisions." The sprawling Durbar Hall has a Venetian mosaic floor and Belgian stained-glass windows, along with elegant chandeliers.
Modi and Sanchez are expected to hold talks and sign MOUs during the visit, followed by a photo-op. The event is expected to put the city and the palace on the world map. The palace management said govt officials and security personnel have been visiting the palace every day to review every aspect of the meeting. Roads leading to the palace have been re-carpeted and trees have been planted along the palace compound wall by the civic body.
On Oct 28, PM Modi will launch the Tata Advanced Systems Ltd plant in the city under the Make in India initiative. PM Modi had laid the foundation stone for the project two years ago. The Tata-Airbus project will produce transport aircraft for the Indian Air Force.