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Governor’s welcome to Montana Students after India tour
In the two-week tour, the students visited New Delhi, Puri, Konark, Ayodhya, Agra and Lucknow.
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Staff Reporter - Tue, 30, Sep 2025
- 09:39 EDT
- 44
Montana student delegation along with the Governor of Montana Greg Gianforte, the First Lady of Montana and Consul General of India at the welcome reception at the State Capitol in Helena / Courtesy: CGI Seattle
Governor of Montana Greg Gianforte hosted a special reception at the State Capitol in Helena on Sept. 30 in honor of students from Montana who had recently returned from a two-week visit to India.
The Member of the Board of Directors of the Montana World Affairs Council, Jason Smith, led the ten-member student delegation to India between June 26 and July 9.
Governor of Montana Greg Gianforte delivering his remarks at the welcome reception at the State Capitol in Helena / Courtesy: CGI SeattleTheir itinerary included prominent heritage landmarks and experiences such as the Rath Yatra in Odisha, the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, the ISKCON Temple in Vrindavan, the Taj Mahal in Agra, the Konark Sun Temple in Odisha, and Lucknow’s Bara Imambara and Rumi Darwaza.
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The Consulate General of India in Seattle worked in close partnership with the Montana World Affairs Council to arrange this exclusively curated tour.
Top-left - Emily Brandenburg of the Montana student delegation sharing her experience of visiting Incredible India at the welcome reception ; Top-right - Participants at the welcome reception ; Bottom - Consul General of India in Seattle delivering his remarks at the welcome reception / Courtesy: CGI Seattle
The program featured interactions with senior government officials of the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi, visits to leading educational institutions such as KIIT/KISS in Odisha and CMS in Lucknow, and vibrant exchanges with their youth counterparts in Lucknow and Bhubaneswar.
During this immersive experience, the Montana students also participated in interactive workshops aimed at deepening their understanding and appreciation of Indian arts and culture.
(From top to bottom) - At the Consulate General of India, Seattle ; With Spokesperson MEA, Randhir Jaiswal ; At the Rath Yatra festivities and celebration of Jagannath festival ; At the Ram Temple, Ayodhya ; With the team at ISKCON temple, Vrindavan ; At Taj Mahal, Agra ; At Sun Temple - UNESCO World Heritage site / Courtesy: CGI SeattleThe students were selected through a competitive and extensive series of India-focused outreach programs across multiple school districts of Montana, culminating in the Indian Film Festival at the University of Montana in Missoula earlier this year.
Governor Greg Gianforte welcomed the initiative of the newly opened Indian Consulate in promoting people-to-people ties, especially among the youth of the two countries.
Top - Meeting the Governor of Odisha, Kambhampati Haribabu ; Bottom - Meeting with the Governor of Uttar Pradesh, Anandiben Patel / Courtesy: CGI SeattleRecalling his India visit, Jason Smith, said, “I have always found my time in India to be magical. The people are warm and wonderful—the sights, the sounds are so unique. There’s no place like it on Planet Earth. It is really important for our young delegation to spend time with their peers and to learn firsthand that there is more that unites us than makes us different.”
The students narrated their experiences in India to an audience of leading scholars, media representatives, and industry leaders.
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