Jimmy Carter, the former US president died at the age of 100 on Sunday (Dec 29) in Georgia. Carter had a special place in India, with one village in Haryana named after him after his visit.

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Carter was the third American leader to visit India. On January 3, 1978, he travelled to the village of Daulatpur Nasirabad, which is located an hour away from New Delhi. On his visit, he was accompanied by First Lady Rosalynn Carter, following which the village was renamed Carterpuri.

Carter also has a personal connection to India, as his mother worked as a health volunteer with the Peace Corps in India during the late 1960s.

Also read | Jimmy Carter, former US president, dies at 100: Life, legacy and more

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Looking back: When WION visited Carterpuri

WION visited the village in February 2020 and spoke to the residents. 

“Many people have been telling about his visit. There are many such memories here in the village. He was welcomed with great joy,” a villager told WION.

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Atack Singh Baghel, who was 24 when Carter came to the village, told WION, “It was festivity in the village when he came. He called on the village panchayat and presented the proposal of renaming the village Carterpuri.”

“Communication continued between the white house and the village for a long time later,” Kartar Singh Baghel, Atack's elder brother said.

Also read | Carterpuri, an Indian village named after former US President

“It became a personal relationship and we used to tell, a man from this village is in the white house,” he added. 

Following his visit, Jimmy Carter wrote to Bup Singh Yada, headman of Carterpuri saying, “I very much appreciated the warm hospitality and friendship which you and all the people of Carterpuri extended to me when I visited your village.”

“It was, without doubt, one of the high points of my entire foreign travel and represented an experience I shall not soon forget,” he expressed his gratitude.

The former First Lady also wrote to the village saying, “Jimmy and I were pleased to receive the lovely gifts on the occasion of our visit to India. They will always remind us of our wonderful time in Carterpuri... thank you so much for these gifts and for your gracious hospitality.”

(With inputs from agencies)