The German President began his five-day trip with a visit to Varanasi where he took a tour of the Sarnath museum and the archaeological site. He also visited the Mulgandha-Kuti temple where he was welcomed with a traditional ceremony.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday to explore ways to further broad base ties between the two countries in a range of areas including trade and investment. Steinmeier, accompanied by his wife Elke Budenbender, arrived Thursday on his first visit to India as German president. He was received at the airport by Minister of State for Drinking Water and Sanitation S S Ahluwalia.

Steinmeier had visited India several times in his former capacity as the foreign minister and vice chancellor of Germany. The last German president to visit India was Joachim Gauck in February 2014.