Prince Charles on week-long visit to India

Prince Charles, the heir to the British throne, comes to India on a week-long visit on Sunday with his second wife Camilla Parker Bowles.

This is his first visit to New Delhi with the Duchess of Cornwall.

The visit of the royal couple to India this time, however, does not have the same buzz and excitement, which stalked him when he came with Princess Diana fourteen years back.

The prince, who is on a three-nation tour which also includes Egypt and Saudi Arabia, will meet the city's power pack on Sunday night at a gala reception organised by the British high commission at which the visiting England cricket team will also be present.

He will go to Punjab and Rajasthan where he is expected to announce his support for a slew of initiatives in sustainable farming, water conservation and employment generation.

In Punjab, the future king of England is likely to visit the erstwhile princely city of Patiala.

Chief Minister Amarinder Singh will host a dinner for Charles who will stay for the night at Singh's new Moti Bagh Palace.

As inter-faith harmony is one of the themes of his visit, the prince is also likely to visit Sri Keshgarh Sahib, popularly known as Gurdwara Anandpur Sahib -- the second most important Sikh religious place after the Golden Temple in Amritsar.

"The key themes of the tour are promoting better understanding and tolerance between faiths, supporting environmental and conservation initiatives and encouraging sustainable employment and training opportunities for young people," said a press release by the prince's office before he began his tour.