Tharoor is on a week-long trip to New York to attending the 64th UN General Assembly session.
Three years back Tharoor and Ban were competing for the top UN post after Kofi Annan's retirement. While Ban prevailed, Tharoor gradually went on to become a law-maker in India, as a Congress party member.
Image: United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon greets Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor at the United Nations headquarters in New York.
Photograph: Jay Mandal