bdmetronews desk॥ Prince William and Kate mingled with Bollywood stars at a glittering gala dinner as they began a tour of India in style on Sunday.
During their first day of a week-long visit to the subcontinent, the royal couple played cricket at Mumbai’s Oval Maidan in front of Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar.
The duke and duchess are on their first official visit to India, whose 1.2 billion population has long been fascinated with the British monarchy.
After the cricket, William and Kate headed to the ancient Banganga Tank, part of a temple complex and a hugely significant site in Hindu mythology, where makeshift homes sit beneath luxury skyscrapers in the Malabar Hill district.
Presented with garlands on arrival, the couple pressed their hands together in the Hindi salutation namaste and scattered petals in the water.
They then met and played football with impoverished children from slums around India’s financial capital.
In the evening, the royal couple met with Bollywood film stars and leading lights from the Indian business community at a charity reception at the Taj Mahal Palace hotel.