'Modi Express' to Sydney served Gujarati Thali, songs and dance

Sydney, Nov 17: It was no ordinary train to Sydney from Brisbane. Indian-Australian call is the Modi Express and like the name, the train did certain very special things for its passengers. More than 200 supporters of Prime Minister Modi travelled for 11 hours from Melbourne to hear him speak at Sydney's Olympic Park.

The train was scheduled to ferry supporters to a grand reception in Sydney, which was organised by the Australian Indian community. Onboard the train, a special Gujarati Thali was served. And to add to the fun was traditional song and dance. The streets of Melbourne, like that of Sydney were as colourful like the train itself. People were chanting "Modi, Modi" and waving the national flag.

Even though several fans missed the train, they took flights from various parts of the country to reach Sydney. Most of them believed,"it was an honour just to get a glimpse of Mr Modi."

Meanwhile, the Allphones Arena of the Olympic Park in Sydney saw an enthusiastic crowd waiting eagerly for their leader to step in. While 30,000 people are expected to attend the function, another 5000 who could not get tickets will have to make do with huge screens fixed outside the arena. Among the cultural programs are sanskrit renditions, Karnatic music, traditional Indian dance programs and contemporary dance performance by 100 members of Shiamik Dawar's dance troupe.

An owner of a cab company said,"I am so excited about attending Modiji's function that I did not sleep last night." Volunteers too are said to have taken several weeks off from work to arrange for the program.

OneIndia News