Cherie Blair, wife of former British prime minister Tony Blair, Saturday paid obeisance at the Golden Temple, the holiest of Sikh shrines.
AMRITSAR: Cherie Blair, wife of former British prime minister Tony Blair, Saturday paid obeisance at the Golden Temple, the holiest of Sikh shrines, in this city during her maiden visit to Punjab.
Accompanied by London-based non-resident Indian (NRI) businessman Raj Loomba, the founder of the Loomba Trust that has social projects running in several countries for the welfare of widows and their children, Blair remained at the Sikh shrine also known as Harmandar Sahib for nearly 30 minutes.
Dressed in trousers and a kurta with a dupatta to cover her head, Blair went around the shrine before paying obeisance.
"I feel honoured to visit this holy and spiritual place," she wrote in the visitors' book of the temple.
Earlier, Blair stopped at Dhilwan village in Punjab's Kapurthala district, 45 km from here, to meet children and widows there.
Women, children and other villagers waited eagerly for their special guest to arrive in the village located along National Highway No. 1 between Amritsar and Jalandhar cities in Punjab.
The Loomba Trust, of which Cherie Blair is the chairperson, has announced a grant of Rs.5 million for the renovation and upgradation of the school in the village. The announcement was made by Raj Loomba in Chandigarh last week.
The Trust signed a memorandum of understanding with the Punjab government in Chandigarh Friday evening under which the state government will provide a matching grant of Rs.5 million for the school.
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal announced that the school would be made an Adarsh (model) school.
Raj Loomba was born in Dhilwan village before his family moved to Britain.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}