Maryland Lt. Governor Aruna Miller attends White House State Dinner

WASHINGTON — President Biden welcomed India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the White House this week for two days of talks, and Thursday night was the high profile state dinner.

In a pavilion on the south lawn, guests were greeted by stunning decorations, rich greens and saffron flowers representing India's flag.

Maryland's Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller was one of the guests in attendance and said the evening "gave me a great sense of pride."

She immigrated from India to the U.S. when she was just 7 years old.

"It was extraordinary to be there in a country that I was born in and be there as a representative of a country that accepted me as their own," Miller said. "To have the leader of the world's largest democracy and the leader of the oldest democracy together trying to forge a relationship to better the world – it was an extraordinary moment."

The dinner featured a carefully curated vegetarian menu.

"I am a vegetarian and so is my husband, so we were in our element here. This was beautifully done – really thoughtful," she said.

And an intersection of Indian food as well as American food.

Miller said, "It was absolutely beautiful. They really captured the elements of the Indian culture. The table settings were just amazing. I felt like I was in a fairytale being there."