Archbishop of Canterbury in India on Saturday

The Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, the head of the Church of England, will embark on a 16-day visit to India from Saturday.

He will travel to Kolkata, Ranchi, Nagpur, New Delhi, Chennai, Vellore, Bangalore and Thiruvananthapuram during the visit at the invitation of the Communion of Churches in India, a statement by the British High Commission said in Kolkata on Friday.

The Archbishop will visit congregations and development initiatives of the Church of North India, the Church of South India and the Mar Thoma Church.

He will meet civic and religious leaders and have a dialogue with Hindu 'Swamis' in Bangalore.

The release quoted the Archbishop before he left London as having said, "I look forward to being in India once more. Family connections, many friendships and memory of two inspiring earlier visits mean that India is a special place for me and I am grateful for the invitation to visit again."