Payal Saini, a Class 11 student at Bahrain Indian School and Lakshmi, wife of an Indian businessman in Bahrain would never forget Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the Gulf country. Both of them were fortunate to click selfies with the Prime Minister. Moreover, Lakshmi could surprise Modi with the special sari she was wearing as it had prints of the Prime Minister’s pictures.
The occasion was the function organized to launch the renovation of the Sri Krishna Temple in the Gulf nation. Modi conducted the inauguration and addressed the gathering. As the Prime Minister was walking away, Lakshmi approached him wearing the ‘Modi sari’. Payal too rushed to Modi and sought his permission to click a selfie.
An amused Modi agreed and both Lakshmi as well as Payal utilized the opportunity to pose with the Prime Minister.
“I cannot describe my happiness. I did not sleep at all last night making preparations to meet the Prime Minister. But I never thought that I would be able to click the selfie,” said Payal about the encounter.
Daughter of Sisupal and Mangi Devi, Payal too has now turned a celebrity. Incidentally, Payal is the granddaughter of Jagadish Sharma, the chief priest of the Sri Krishna Temple, which is owned by the Thathai Bhatia community.
Meanwhile, Lakshmi had waited with the Modi sari for a year to meet the Prime Minister. The sari is a limited edition product created during the surgical strike, she said.
Another woman too had approached Modi during the temple visit. The Prime Minister suggested to Lakshmi that a similar sari may be presented to this woman. “However, as it is limited edition sari, I will give the same item for dry cleaning and gift it to her,” said Lakshmi.
Mukesh, Lakshmi’s husband, is the proprietor of V M Brothers Company and the brother of the Srinath Temple managing committee chairman. Lakshmi and Mukesh’s only son Vivek lives in Canada.
