Thousands of miles from Washington, where Jimmy Carter’s funeral is scheduled for next week, an Indian village named in his honor fondly remembers his visit nearly 50 years ago.
The village pays tribute to the former U.S. president, who passed away on Sunday at the age of 100. He will receive a state funeral at the Washington National Cathedral on Thursday.
Carterpuri, or the “Village of Carter,” is a small hamlet located about 20 miles (32 km) outside Delhi. The village was originally called Daulatpur Nasirabad when Carter’s mother, Lillian, lived and worked there as a nurse and volunteer in the 1960s.
Residents recall how villagers dressed Rosalynn, Carter’s wife, in traditional attire. Moti Ram, a local, remembered that Carter also tried out a hookah during his visit.
The villagers prepared for the visit on January 3, 1978, months in advance. They spruced up the village and organized welcome programs in the main square.
The residents were so impressed by the Carters’ visit that they decided to change the village’s name in his honor.
After hearing of Carter’s death, the villagers paid tribute by garlanding a framed picture of him and offering flowers in front of it.
Eric Garcetti, the U.S. ambassador to India, mentioned the village in a post on X after Carter’s passing. He described it as a testament to the high regard in which Carter was held in India. Garcetti shared a photo from the visit that showed Rosalynn in traditional attire, laughing while Carter stood beside her, surrounded by villagers.
The village treasures a letter from Carter in which he thanked the residents for their efforts in making the event “successful and so personally satisfying.”
This letter, along with photographs from the visit, is among the village’s most prized possessions.
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