A couple of hours before his swearing-in ceremony at the Central Hall at Parliament, Pranab Mukherjee has decided to pay his respects to the father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi.

At 9:00 am,  he started from his residence and was on his way to Rajghat to pay his respects to Mahatma Gandhi to make an auspicious start to his duties as the 13th President of India.

At 9:25 am Pranab Mukherjee, the president elect, had reached Rajghat.

At: 9:40 am he had started to Veer Bhumi before his oath at the Parliament.

Pranab Mukherjee would swear in as the 13th President of India on Wednesday in the Central Hall of the Parliament. He has also planned to move to Shanti Sthat after his visit to Rajghat and Veerbhumi. He is also to meet the outgoing President Pratibha Patil, who would preside her final guard of honor.

The oath would administered to Mr Pranab Mukherjee by Chief Justice of India, SH Kapadia. The ceremony is scheduled to take place at 11:30am along with dignitaries like Hamid Ansari, the vice president, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, the Union Ministers, Governers, Chief Ministers and many others.

UPA allies such as the Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee would also be present at the ceremony. Mamatha had med the president elect on Tuesday and felicitated him on the victory at his residence immediately after she arrived in Delhi from Kolkata.

(AW- Anil)