Indian PM Narendra Modi to fast during debut US visit

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will observe a strict religious fast during his first trip to the United States, aides have said, in a test of both his stamina and White House protocol.

The devout Hindu vegetarian will abstain from food throughout a gruelling schedule that features his maiden speech to the UN General Assembly, a rally of Indian Americans at New York's Madison Square Garden and talks with US President Barack Obama in Washington.

"In the US, you will not see him having dinner or lunch with Obama," a Gujarat state minister who was close to the prime minister said yesterday.

Modi will restrict himself to a "liquid diet" throughout the Navratri festival, when India's majority Hindus worship mother goddess Durga.

"He will only consume lemonade with some honey and a cup of tea every day," a senior Modi official said. "He has been fasting for the last four decades and does not want to change this pattern even while travelling."

An Indian government source said the White House had been notified.