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Monument to love leaves
Gen Musharraf awe-struck

Taking a break from his summit meeting with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in Agra on Sunday, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf let his hair down as he went around admiring the Taj Mahal, joking with journalists and posing for photographs with his wife on the Lovers' seat.

The 57-year-old president spent an hour in the complex, awe-struck by the imposing tribute to love built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz in the 17th century.

Before going back to a second round of one-to-one talks with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Musharraf told journalists who almost mobbed him outside the complex that the Taj Mahal 'was both magnificent and fabulous'.

Musharraf, who arrived in Agra early from New Delhi on Sunday morning, was driven to the Taj in a battery-operated bus after a lunch that followed a one-on-one meeting with Vajpayee.

Police and security forces had sealed off the entire area and sharpshooters had been positioned on roofs of nearby houses.

Mohammad K K, an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) official, was the guide for the Musharrafs. The General was dressed in a casual half-sleeved cream shirt and black trousers.

Before entering the monument, Gen Musharraf craned his neck for a glimpse of the high dome.

After stepping out 30 minutes later, Musharraf and Sehba sat on the marble Lovers' seat and posed for pictures with the Taj as the backdrop. He also joked with the journalists and chatted with them.

Mohammad K K said, "The Pakistani president described the inlay work inside the Taj as the most magnificent piece of art he had seen anywhere."

"When I told them that the height of the Taj Mahal was 243 feet, five feet taller than the Qutub Minar, he looked visibly overwhelmed."

Musharraf later wrote in the visitors' diary that his tour of the Taj Mahal was "a most unique experience. The monument proves the genius and aesthetics of Shah Jahan. We are indeed lucky to have visited it."

Sehba Musharraf added: "This unique structure endorses the unique talent and industry of all mankind."

They later left the complex chatting, walking on the red stone path along a row of fountains.

The Taj Mahal is India's most famous architectural wonder and stands on the banks of the Yamuna river.

Indo-Pak Summit 2001: The Complete Coverage

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