Dr Philipp Ackerman ties 'nimbu-mirchi' to his car.
Credit: X/@ANI
The German ambassador to India and Bhutan Dr Philipp Ackermann recently shifted to an Electric Vehicle. The reason? Delhi's rising pollution and smog, especially with the impending winter.
Ackermann, who has headed the German embassy in New Delhi since 2022, attributed the decision to switch to an Electric Vehicle to help curb down pollution in his individual capacity.
"Germany and India are committed to a mutual partnership, which is called the partnership agreement to sustainable development... In the winter time, pollution gets really bad and I felt that we should do a contribution to reduce pollution. I wanted to have an EV and that is why my HQ accepted after a while that we get a new car," he told news agency ANI.
But what was interesting was that the ambassador went all 'desi' with Indian rituals and customs as he performed a mini celebration to mark the occasion for his new car.
Smashing a coconut for good luck and tying 'nimbu-mirchi' (lemon and chili) at the front of his car, Dr Ackermann proved how his time in India has imbibed in him certain desi ways of doing things!
The 'nimbu-mirchi' ritual is believed to help in warding off evil spirits.