NEWSLINKS
US EDITION
COLUMNISTS
DIARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ELECTION 99
ELECTIONS
ARCHIVES

Search Rediff

The Taj gets a makeover for Clinton's visit

Neena Haridas in Agra

The main entrance to the Taj is being painted a ghastly white. The little windows are being remade. The roads are being tarred, the hedges spruced up, the lawns manicured.

The government machinery in Agra is working overtime. For it is getting ready for 'Kilton'. "Kilton sahab's visit is like the viral fever -- everybody seems to be getting affected," says M C Sharma, in-charge (Taj Mahal and Agra Fort), Archeological Survey of India, who has the enviable task dressing up the Taj for the president of US of A.

But there is nothing much for Sharma to do at the Taj Mahal itself. Says he, "We are constantly cleaning up the monument. So there is nothing special required to do for Kilton. But yes, the security arrangements are going on and we have not been included in that."

Sure enough the Taj premises has some very busy six-footer Americans walking all over discussing what exactly Clinton would do. Sample this conversation overheard inside the tomb:
Six footer A: Is he going to go inside the tomb?
Six footer B: Yep. They are going to open up the original graves for him?
Six footer A: But it is so cramped, dark and suffocating in there. What if the doors get shut?
Six footer B: Oh, then we are in trouble.

The two are discussing the 'details' of Bill Clinton's moments inside the Taj tomb. The Taj Mahal has dummy graves on the first floor while the original graves of Mumtaz and Shahjehan are kept in an underground room. However, this room was closed for public last year after the Supreme Court ruled that the room could suffocate people. The rest of the Taj is being sanitised and will be shut to the public from March 20 onward -- two days before Clinton's visit.

Clinton is to touch down in Agra around 3 pm on March 22 and then, like a true tourist, proceed to the Taj Mahal. After spending about half-hour or so there, he will head for the Taj Khema -- an unkempt government tourist home -- for lunch and an environment conference to be held at Taj View.

Says City Superintendent of Police Deepam Seth, "We have deployed about 10,000 men for the Clinton visit. They have already been posted at the periphery. The inner circle will obviously consist of his own men. But they are quite happy with our arrangements. Every labourer, worker and plumber has been given a security pass and has been checked out by US embassy officials. The sanitisation started a long time ago."

CLINTON VISITS INDIA : The complete coverage

Back to top

Tell us what you think of this report