Agra (UP): Pakistan's former President and Army General Pervez Musharraf, who passed away in Dubai on Sunday, visited Agra with his wife Saba 22 years ago. Musharraf had visited India for an inconclusive meeting with former Prime Minister of India Atal Bihari Vajpayee and he was in awe of the beauty of the Taj Mahal and the Indian hospitality. Musharraf visited the Taj Mahal with his wife Saba Pervez Musharraf after the Agra summit, which took place on July 14-16, 2001. An air-conditioned battery bus was brought from Indore by BHEL for Musharraf and his wife Saba to visit the Taj Mahal and the whole city was decked for his visit.
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Musharraf had stayed in the Kohinoor Suite of Amar Vilas Hotel located at Shilpgram at the East Gate of the Taj Mahal where the hotel staff used silver cutlery for the first time in their hospitality to serve the guests. A scaffold was set up as the Taj Mahal was undergoing repairs, but it was removed so that Musharraf and his wife can have a better view of one of the seven wonders of the world.
Musharraf and his wife also visited the real graves of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz during their visit to the Taj Mahal and they visited the Sheesh Mahal in Agra Fort, which was specially repaired for Musharraf's visit. Agra was chosen as the first choice for further international events after the Agra Summit in 2001 and since then important conferences and seminars are being held continuously in Agra.
