Kanpur Dehat (UP), Jun 27 (IANS): President Ram Nath Kovind, on Sunday, visited the house of his childhood friend K.K. Agarwal.

The President is in Kanpur on a four-day visit during which he is meeting the members of his family and friends. Kovind, who boarded a train to reach Kanpur, visited his native village Paraunkh in Kanpur Dehat.

On Sunday, the President reached his village in a chopper and bowed down to touch the soil of his village as a mark of respect.

A cloth merchant, Agarwal has not been keeping well for the past few weeks so the President decided to pay his old friend a visit at his home. He also took with him a cake to celebrate 51st wedding anniversary of Agarwal and his wife Veena.

The President stayed at Agarwal's house for more than one hour.

Later, talking to the media, Agarwal said he is elated that the President paid him a visit. He said it reminded him of Lord Krishna visiting the house of his poor friend Sudama. The gesture of the President to carry a cake to celebrate his wedding anniversary made the occasion special.

The families of Agarwal and President Kovind have been friends for a very long time. The businessman from Kanpur visited the President House in Delhi when Kovind took oath of the highest office in the country.

This is Kovind's first visit to his native village in Kanpur after becoming the President in 2017.

A statement from Rashtrapati Bhavan said the President decided to undertake a train journey to his native village 'in line with the tradition of his predecessors'.

Before Kovind, former President A.P.J. Abdul Kamal travelled on a special train from Delhi to Dehradun to attend the parade of the cadets of the Indian Military Academy (IMA).