US Vice President JD Vance, along with his family, embarked on a cultural tour of Jaipur on Monday. The first stop on the culture adventure was the historic Amer Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage site perched atop a hill about 11 km from Rajasthan’s capital city.

At the fort, Vance, his wife Usha Vance and their three children Ewan, Vivek, and Mirabel received a traditional Rajasthani welcome with performances by folk artists and dancers. But the centrepiece of the event was a salute by two elephants– Chanda and Pushpa– who were especially trained at Hathi Gaon near Amber for the welcome ceremony.

Vance and his family enjoyed the cultural performances and later toured the vast expanse of the fort. The architectural marvel is built with pale yellow and pink sandstone and white marble. The 16th-century monument was closed to tourists for 24 hours to accommodate the high-level visit.

In Jaipur, the Vance family is staying at the opulent Rambagh Palace that has hosted many high-profile guests over the years. During their day-long stay in the city, they are also expected to visit other popular monuments like Hawa Mahal, Jantar Mantar and meet dignitaries, including the Chief Minister and Governor of Rajasthan.

Following the fort tour, Vance is scheduled to deliver a lecture on US-India relations at the Rajasthan International Centre (RIC) later in the day, which will be attended by diplomats, Indian officials, academics, and policy experts.

He is also likely to meet with the Rajasthan CM Bhajan Lal Sharma and Governor Haribhau Kisanrao Bagade, before leaving for Agra on Wednesday. They are set to depart for the United States early on April 24.

Vance’s India visit came amid broader diplomatic engagement between India and the US. After landing in New Delhi on Monday, Vance held wide-ranging talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, focusing on defence cooperation, energy, and advanced technologies.