White pyjama-kurta, Hindi dominating themes at swearing-in of PM Modi, ministers

Traditional Indian wear with hues of saffron and use of Hindi language for oath-taking were the overriding themes at the glittering swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union ministers of the new NDA government.

The mega event took place in the sprawling forecourt of the iconic Rashtrapati Bhavan which was attended by heads of states of various countries and a galaxy of other high-profile guests.

Among the ministers who were sworn-in, most of them chose to take oath in Hindi while the rest did it in English.

In sartorial sense too, kurta-pyjama was the dominating theme as most of the MPs turned up in kurta-pyjama, colourful waistcoat or their traditional dresses, while a few chose to wear shirts and trousers.

The crowd cheered the most when Modi took his oath in Hindi and someone in the crowd shouted 'Bharat Mata Ki 'Jai' just before he was sworn-in.

BJP chief Amit Shah and Smriti Irani were also greeted enthusiastically by the crowd.

The ceremony also witnessed showbiz stars rubbing shoulders with political leaders and corporate honchos as they watched President Ram Nath Kovind administer the oath of office to India's 58 new ministers.