Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday hosted French President Emmanuel Macron on a grand tour of Varanasi, his parliamentary constituency, the highlight of which was a boat ride on the Ganga.

Two years ago, the Prime Minister had accompanied Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on a tour to Varanasi, where the two had performed Ganga aarti -- the traditional puja of the sacred river -- and watched a cultural programme on the banks of the river.