"A timeless testament to the rich and diverse beauty of Indian culture," Donald Trump wrote
US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump visited the Taj Mahal in Agra, their second stop on the first day of their visit to India. In the golden glow of the sunset, the Trumps enjoyed the magnificent marble monument that was cleared of all people and staff for the high-profile visitors.
The Trumps walked hand in hand into the mausoleum built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan for his beloved wife Mumtaj Mahal.
"The Taj Mahal inspires awe. A timeless testament to the rich and diverse beauty of Indian culture. Thank you India," President Trump wrote in the visitors' book soon after stepping into the complex for a private visit.
President Trump and the First Lady walked on the manicured lawns alongside freshly spruced up fountains as they were taken on a guided tour of the monument.
Three guides were shortlisted for the job by the American security and only one made it.
On their way to the actual monument, President Trump and Melania Trump stopped at the famed love seat where most foreign dignitaries pose and smiled for posterity, holding hands.
They also turned around once for a look at the Taj in its splendor, surrounded by verdant greens and a clear blue sky. A large group of photographers followed the first couple to capture the moments they paused.
For the visit, hundreds of workers had scrubbed and polished the stones, applied fresh paint on walls and multani mitti (mud-pack) on the marble. Water was released into the river Yamuna flowing just behind the monument, to reduce the stench of years of garbage and pollutants.
The US President's daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner also toured the monument at a distance.
The US President and his family arrived this afternoon in India, touching down first at Ahmedabad where he was greeted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a hug.
President Trump and PM Modi addressed a massive gathering at the newly-built Motera cricket stadium, the world's biggest.
