US Vice President JD Vance and his family arrived in Jaipur on Tuesday as part of their four-day trip to India. During their visit, the Vance family explored Amber Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and plans to visit iconic landmarks like Hawa Mahal, Jantar Mantar, and meet Rajasthan’s Chief Minister and Governor.
In an exclusive interview with NDTV, Usha Vance, the Indian-origin Second Lady of the United States, shared her thoughts on the significance of the trip for their three children – Ewan, Vivek, and Mirabel.
“My children have never been to India, and this was a terrible oversight given my husband’s circumstances of his campaign,” Usha Vance explained. She added, “My children love Indian food, and being here, they can eat Indian food all the time.”
The family’s visit to the Amber Fort left an impression on her children. “It’s a spectacular fort. You feel its defensive capabilities, and my children are very interested in pretend battles, so they were up there imagining themselves defending against an army. They read Indian history, so they have a sense of who would have been here historically, and they were enacting the whole thing in their imaginations.”
On Wednesday, the Vance family will head to Agra to visit the Taj Mahal and return to Jaipur later in the day for a tour of the City Palace.
Usha Vance, who has roots in Andhra Pradesh, shared her excitement about seeing the iconic Mughal-era monument with her children. “It is one of the wonders of the world. I have seen photos, it looks spectacular, and when I take my kids there, their jaws are just going to drop.”
She continued, “We love architecture, and they are going to be amazed at what was built here such a long time ago.”
The children’s curiosity about India’s cultural legacy, she said, is deep-rooted. “Children are into military history, but my kids are very interested in the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. They have lots of stories, questions and references on that,” she mentioned.
Vice President Vance, who landed in India on Monday, held wide-ranging talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. After the meeting, PM Modi hosted the Vance family for dinner at his residence.
Usha Vance recalled how the children were especially captivated by a puppet show during the visit. “It was something they enjoyed,” she said. “What really caught their imagination were these puppets from Andhra Pradesh – leather flat puppets against shadow screens. It blew their minds. It was a story of the Ramayana with different Hanumans flying. It was spectacular.”
She also noted the children’s enthusiasm for Indian clothing, saying, “I found a website that sources Indian outfits, and I picked a few for them. They enjoy wearing them. They will probably wear some tomorrow.”
Their time at the Amber Fort also included an encounter with elephants that delighted the children. “We were impressed by the salute,” she said. “They are very intelligent creatures. My children were caught by the dancing. My kids love to dance.”
Asked if this trip could be considered a return to their roots, Usha Vance said, “We knew there would be an important opportunity for JD to come in his capacity as Vice President for diplomatic purposes, and we knew when that opportunity arose, we would come with him. We have not had a chance to bring our children here, and it’s something we have been dying to do. They have been dying to do so and we took the first opportunity we got to come here.”
The Vance family are scheduled to depart for the US early Thursday morning.