South Carolina governor Nikki Haley offers prayers at Golden Temple

Indian-American Governor of South Carolina Nikki Haley on Saturday paid obeisance at Golden Temple in Amritsar saying that she was there not in the capacity of Governor of a state but as a humble human being.

Accompanied by her husband, Haley offered prayers at the Sikh shrine.

"The peace and serenity of the place is amazing," she said.

Haley described her visit to Punjab as "really special and emotional".

"This is the place that has been so frequently talked about by my parents. So many stories, so many memories... and now actually to be in that place is very exciting. It's nice to come back to the place my parents belong to", said Haley, the youngest sitting Governor in USA.

"It is indeed a blessing to be able to relive some of the memories shared by my parents. It is indeed emotional and heart-warming," Haley said.

Responding to media queries, Haley said she wanted to promote business ties between her state and Indian companies.

"India is my second home. Attracting investments from overseas companies is my job, but building business ties with Indian companies is my personal desire", she said.

Stressing upon the need for a mutually beneficial business propositions, she said, "I believe if businesses are doing well in a state, all else like education, jobs, health and economy will fall perfectly in place".

Besides seeking investment in automotives, tractors, agriculture, tourism, pharmaceuticals and IT, Haley said partnerships with higher educational institutions or universities to promote research and training would also be welcome.

Later, SGPC officials honoured the dignitaries with a replica of Golden Temple, woollen shawls and a set of Sikh religious books.

The Governor of South Carolina also paid tribute to the martyrs at Jallianwala Bagh.

Parents of Nikki Haley, Ajit Singh Randhawa and Raj Kaur Randhawa had migrated to US from Amritsar district in Punjab and she was born on January 20, 1972, in Bamberg, South Carolina.

Leading an 18-member delegation, Haley is on a 10-day trip to India to attract Indian investments in her state and will be visiting Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Chennai.