Hundreds of Indian-Americans have gathered at iconic locations across the US to send a message of welcome to Prime Minister Narendra Modi days ahead of his State Visit in Washington DC. A few hundred Indian Americans from in and around the Washington DC area gathered near the National Monument on Sunday to convey a message of unity and tell the prime minister that they are eagerly waiting for his arrival in the city.

Prime Minister Modi is visiting the US from June 21-24 at the invitation of US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. They will host Modi at a state dinner on June 22. The visit also includes an address to the Joint Session of the Congress on June 22. He will address an invitation-only gathering of diaspora leaders from across the country at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington on June 23.

Chanting slogans of 'Modi Modi' and India-US friendship, Indian Americans walked in a procession for over an hour towards the historic Lincoln Memorial where the participants busted into an impromptu dance. Similar scenes were visible at many iconic locations in the United States like Times Square in New York and Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.

The frantic search for tickets for various Modi events in Washington DC and New York is reflective of his high popularity in the country, which many said is a phenomenon or a euphoria that has refused to die down even nine years after he came to power, the organisers of various events said. "It's Modi phenomenon," M R Rangaswami, entrepreneur, philanthropist and founder of Indiaspora said.