Former US president Bill Clinton, who was recently in Goa, took back home a sandalwood carved idol of Lord Ganesh as a memento, according to Leela Venture Hotel sources.
"Clinton said he had a similar Lord Ganesh statue earlier, which he had lost and now intends to install the new one in his study," said C P Krishnan Nair, chairman, Leela Venture told PTI.
The sandalwood Ganesh idol is carved by a Kerala-based artisan and was brought to Goa to present to Clinton.
During his two-day visit to Goa, Clinton had stayed at Leela Palace in Goa with special cooks being flown down from Mumbai to cater to his taste buds, Nair said.
At Leela Palace, Clinton played golf for three hours and relaxed on the beach, Nair said.
"He enjoyed the Mobor beach adjacent to the hotel and termed it one of the best beaches in the world," he said.
"For Leela, Clinton's visit is of great pride," Nair said adding, "He has said that he would come back to India on a longer holiday and stay at Leela's properties." During his stay, Clinton showed keen interest in Ayurveda though he did not have enough time to try it, Nair stated.
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