Ahead of oath ceremony, Modi pays tribute to Mahatma Gandhi, Atal Bihari Vajpayee

Modi will be the second politician after Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru to become Prime Minister for the third consecutive term.

"Paid tributes to Bapu at Rajghat. We are greatly inspired by his unwavering commitment to service and social welfare. His thoughts continue to guide us in building a better society," he wrote in a post.

Following his visit to Rajghat, he paid tributes to stalwart BJP leader and former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at his memorial 'Sadaiv Atal'.

Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the first ever BJP prime minister and is credited for the party's rise as a pillar of national politics along with Lal Krishna Advani.

"Paid homage to Atal Ji at Sadaiv Atal. His visionary leadership and commitment to progress greatly benefitted our nation. His words and actions continue to inspire us in our pursuit of all round development. He remains a guiding light for us all," PM Modi posted.

He also offered his respects at the National War Memorial, a monument to soldiers who have made the supreme sacrifice for the country.

India has invited several leaders from neighbouring countries to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Narendra Modi, who is set to become the Prime Minister for a third consecutive term on Sunday.

The ceremony will take place today at 7.15 pm at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Besides Modi his Council of Ministers will also take their oaths of office and secrecy, forming part of the Prime Minister's new cabinet.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, several leaders have accepted the invitation and will arrive in New Delhi on Sunday to participate in the ceremony.