With a saffron-coloured cloth covering his head, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday offered prayers at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, where he was presented with a traditional robe of honour.
In a white kurta-pyjama, the visiting premier prayed at the sanctum sanctorum of the temple during an almost hour-long visit to the shrine.
Trudeau was accompanied by his wife, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, and two of his three children, who were also clad in traditional Punjabi outfits.
The prime minister and his family also tried rolling out rotis at the Guru Ram Das Jee Langar hall, where devotees do voluntary kitchen work for feeding visitors.
They greeted devotees with folded hands while scores of visitors could be seen holding up their mobile phones to take pictures and videos of the Trudeaus.
Punjab police officials and SGPC task force 'sewadars' (volunteers) formed a security ring around the dignitaries. Canadian security officials were also part of their security cover.
Trudeau, along with a delegation of his ministers and MPs, reached the Golden Temple straight from the Amritsar International Airport at around 11:55 am.
A red-coloured carpet was laid out for the dignitaries by the Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee at the Golden temple complex.
Trudeau and his family took a tour of the Temple.
The prime minister and his family were given a 'siropa' (robe of honour) inside the shrine.
Among those accompanying the Canadian PM was his defence minister Harjit Sajjan.
Union minister of state (Independent Charge) for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri and Punjab Cultural Affairs and Tourism minister Navjot Singh Sidhu also accompanied the Canadian PM at the Golden Temple.
Sikhs constitute a large segment of people of Indian origin settled in Canada. Later, Trudeau also visited the Partition Museum in the city.
Shiromani Akali Dal Chief Sukhbir Singh Badal and Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee president Gobind Singh Longowal welcomed the visiting PM at the Golden Temple.
(With inputs from PTI and AP)
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