Bismillah Khan's son to perform to welcome Modi, Abe in Varanasi

Varanasi: A son of legendary Shehnai player late Ustad Bismillah Khan will be performing on Saturday at a cultural event here to welcome Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Officials said Zamin Hussain Khan, a son of the Bharat Ratna musician, has been scheduled to welcome the visiting dignitary. He would be playing at a cultural extravaganza being held at hotel Taj Gateway in Nadesar.

A traditional welcome awaits Abe at the Dashwasmedh Ghat on the banks of holy Ganges, where he would be taking part in the famous Ganga Aarti.

The temple town of Varanasi has been turned into a fortress for the VVIP visit. All entry and exit points to the Ghats have been sealed and the route to be taken by the motorcade of Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Shinzo Abe has been sanitized and made out of bounds for the common man.

Banners, posters are put on roadside poles and squares welcoming both Modi and Abe. Prime minister Modi is the Lok Sabha MP from Varanasi. District officials said foolproof security arrangements have been made to ensure that the visit passes off peacefully.