The stage is set for swearing-in of Narendra Modi as the 15th Prime Minister of India at a grand function in the forecourt of the majestic Rashtrapati Bhawan tomorrow.

The swearing-in ceremony of the 63-year-old Modi , who led BJP to an astounding victory in the Lok Sabha polls, would be attended by nearly 3,000 guests.

Top leaders from SAARC countries including Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, his Nepal counterpart Sushil Koirala, Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom, Bhutan Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay and Bangladesh Parliament Speaker Dr. Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury and Mauritius Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam will attend the grand ceremony.

This is the first time that the heads of state of SAARC nations have been invited to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the Indian Prime Minister.

President Pranab Mukherjee will administer the oath of office and secrecy to Mr. Modi and his council of Ministers in the presence of a host of leaders, including outgoing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress President Sonia Gandhi and party Vice President Rahul Gandhi, besides leaders of various other parties and Chief Ministers of a number of states.

Following in the footsteps of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Mr. Modi is the third Prime Minister to be sworn in at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhawan. Earlier, Chandrashekar was another Prime Minister who had taken oath at the same venue.