New Delhi, Sep 12 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday welcomed several world leaders at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, the venue of the 18th BRICS Summit, with the iconic Ramanathaswamy Temple in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, forming the backdrop for the event.

PM Modi warmly received Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and other leaders at the Bharat Mandapam ahead of the Summit.

Prime Minister was seen briefly explaining the significance of the temple backdrop to Chinese President Xi Jinping during the welcome ceremony. He also interacted with and explained the backdrop to several other visiting leaders at Bharat Mandapam.

The Ramanathaswamy Temple, located on Rameswaram's Pamban Island in Tamil Nadu, is one of the most revered Hindu pilgrimage sites and among the 12 Jyotirlinga temples dedicated to Lord Shiva.

Known for its grand corridors, intricate architectural details, and distinctive rituals, the temple is regarded as a symbol of devotion, rich culture, and timeless history.

It also holds a special place in Hindu tradition because of its association with the Ramayana and its significance as a pilgrimage centre representing purification and spiritual transformation.

India is hosting the 18th BRICS Summit at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on Saturday and Sunday (September 12-13), bringing together leaders from BRICS member and partner countries, along with outreach invitees.

India's BRICS Chairship is guided by the theme: 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability', reflecting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of a people-centric approach rooted in the spirit of 'Humanity First', according to the statement released by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

In his welcome remarks at the opening BRICS session on 'Inclusive Global Governance and Strengthening Multilateralism' in New Delhi on Saturday, PM Modi extended a warm welcome to BRICS leaders and said that India's BRICS chairship is based on a people-centric and humanity-first approach.

"Resilience, innovation, cooperation, and sustainability have been our priorities. Alongside these priorities, we have placed special emphasis on connecting BRICS cooperation with the common people. With this vision in mind, more than 350 meetings were organised. We had the opportunity to welcome your teams to approximately 30 cities," highlighted PM Modi.

He emphasised that BRICS has established a distinct identity on the global stage and said that the bloc is not against anyone and must work to move forward with the approach of taking everyone along. He called for the establishment of a 'BRICS Continuity and Implementation' mechanism.

--IANS

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