On April 21, 2025, US Vice President JD Vance began his four-day official visit to India with a culturally significant visit to the Swaminarayan Akshardham Temple in New Delhi, accompanied by his wife Usha Vance and their three children.
The youngsters embraced Indian custom by dressing in kurta-pyjamas and an Anarkali-style ensemble, respectively, and the family was greeted with warmth at the temple. “Thank you all so much for your hospitality and kindness in welcoming me and my family to this beautiful place,” Vance wrote in the temple guest book, expressing his profound gratitude for the temple’s elaborate construction and the hospitality shown to his family. The fact that you constructed a stunning temple with such care and accuracy is a huge compliment to India. Especially our children enjoyed it. May God bless you.
During his roughly 55-minute tour of the temple complex, the vice president saw the Gajendra Peeth, a plinth with elephant carvings that stand for power and knowledge, the Bharat Upvan garden, and the Charanarvind of Lord Swaminarayan.
In addition, the family prayed for world peace and performed darshan of the idol of Lord Swaminarayan in the sanctum sanctorum. Radhika Shukla, a temple spokesman, called the visit “unforgettable,” highlighting the family’s profound connection to the site’s architectural and spiritual magnificence.
Vance’s first official visit to India began when he and his family arrived at Palam Airport, where they were greeted by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and presented with a ceremonial Guard of Honour.
In addition to travels to Delhi, Jaipur, and Agra, the program calls for a meeting at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home to talk about enhancing trade, economic, and defense relations between the two nations. The visit is seen as a major step toward strengthening the Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership between the United States and India.
The 2005-opened Akshardham Temple is well-known for its classic Vedic architecture, which was built using pink sandstone from Rajasthan and white marble from Italy without the use of steel or concrete. India’s spiritual legacy and values of faith, family, and harmony are embodied in its more than 20,000 carvings of Hindu deities, saints, and motifs. The temple complex draws dignitaries and tourists from all over the world as a place of worship as well as a cultural and educational hub.
US Vice President JD Vance’s visit to the Akshardham Temple was characterized by his family’s cordial cultural acceptance of Indian customs, praise for the temple’s architectural splendor and spiritual atmosphere, and a statement emphasizing the temple’s significance as a representation of India’s hospitality and rich legacy. His diplomatic interactions throughout his time in India were boosted by this visit.
