New Delhi : A curious monkey perched atop a fountain on the roof of Rashtrapati Bhavan caught the eye of the gathering, as it peered down from the edge upon the grand spectacle of the swearing-in of Narendra Modi as prime minister.
“Do you think it will jump,” guests asked one another, watching the monkey as it sat on the edge of a fountain on the roof. The monkey was silhouetted against the setting sun, and stood out — as it bent down to take a long drink of water, sat down, and then took a walk round the periphery of the round fountain.
With the swearing-in ceremony carrying on for an hour-and-a-half, the monkey proved to be a welcome distraction for the hundreds of guests at the back, who could not see the swearing-in going on in the front.
Lost for words
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Former union minister Jairam Ramesh was for once lost for words. Ramesh, who never missed a chance to take pot shots at Modi, looked totally lost after the ceremony was over. Greeted by journalist friends, he mumbled hello, but tried to leave quickly. He wandered around looking for some known faces. But with the BJP government taking over, there were not many people seeking his attention.
Rush for refreshments
While the Rashtrapati Bhavan staff made elaborate efforts, very little arrangements were made to provide them refreshments. A melee broke out for refreshments as soon as the ceremony got over, with foreign envoys, top bureaucrats and judges making a rush towards the counters, where light snacks were served, leading to a chaotic situation.
