US Vice President JD Vance, who is on a four-day India trip, arrived in Jaipur along with his family, where he visited Amber Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, on Tuesday. During his stay in the Pink City, the Vice President and his family are also likely to visit other popular monuments like Hawa Mahal, Jantar Mantar and meet dignitaries, including the Chief Minister and Governor of Rajasthan.
In an exclusive interview to NDTV, the Second Lady of the United States and wife of the US Vice-President, Usha Vance, spoke about myriad topics including her three children – Ewan, Vivek and Mirabel, their interest in the Ramayana and Mahabharata, on JD Vance’s cooking skills, on her roots in South India, and much more.
On Their Children
She said that although her family is from Andhra Pradesh, her children have never been to India, however, “They read Indian history so they have a sense of who would have been here historically”, she also added that the children love Indian food and that, “they can eat Indian food all the time”.
On JD Vance’s Cooking Skills
She also gave a glimpse into her kitchen and said that despite having a “vegetarian household”, JD Vance is an “experimental cook” and has tried Indian dishes such as chana masala and lamb dishes. She spoke about how her family has always been into cooking, “My mother and grandmother are excellent cooks, my father makes very good dosa”, and added that they get all the ingredients from Indian stores.
On Their Wedding
Being from an Indian family, she said that it was important for her to have a traditional Hindu ceremony wedding because her parents had one, and even though they married in Kentucky, their wedding embodied both the backgrounds.
On Their Visit To PM Modi’s Residence
They enjoyed a puppet show at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence, about a story from the Ramayana, and she said that the puppets caught the children’s attention. “Andhra Pradesh leather flat puppets against shadow screens blew their minds!”
On Their First Visit To India
The Second Lady of the United States also said that this visit will be the first visit for her husband in India, and said that it’s “special”. “It’s a country that’s growing, that’s young and vibrant and I think he has been very impressed by what he has read about India, it’s culture and trajectory”, she added.
Visiting Amer Fort was another spectacular moment for the family, “We were impressed by the salute, my children were caught by the dancing and were describing it last night!”
They Vance family was welcomed in traditional Rajasthani style by two elephants-named Chanda and Pushpa, who were trained at Hathi Gaon near Amber for their welcome.
She added that, “This is a trip of a lifetime. I have been to India but it is something I want to share with my nuclear family”.
The Vance family will leave for Agra on Wednesday morning and then return to Jaipur in the afternoon, as he is scheduled to visit the City Palace here. They will depart for the US early Thursday morning.
Vance, who arrived in India on Monday, held wide-ranging talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi yesterday. The two leaders discussed ways to enhance cooperation in areas of defence, energy and technologies.
PM Modi also hosted the Vance family over dinner at his 7 Lok Kalyan Marg residence after the official talks.
