Trumps patient listeners, says their Taj guide
UNFORGETTABLE The experience of escorting the ‘world’s most powerful man’ will remain etched in memory forever, says Nitin Singh
AGRA: Guide Nitin Singh, 36, has taken many a visiting head of state on a tour of the Taj Mahal, but the experience of escorting the ‘world’s most powerful man’, US President Donald Trump, and his family will remain etched in his memory forever.
A graduate in history from St John’s College here, Nitin alias Rinku said the Trumps not only appreciated the monument but promised to return in future.
“It was an unforgettable experience for me. I was guiding the most powerful man in the world and yet found the couple so humble and inquisitive about history and architecture of this seventeenth century marvel,” said Nitin, who was much sought after by the media after the VVIP visit got over.
Nitin, who is a local, has been guide to about 8 to 10 heads of state, including Israeli president Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau, French President Emmanuel Macron and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, to name a few.
“But this time it was a totally different experience and I felt the pressure although I was not nervous. But my task was made easy because of the guests who turned out to be humble and patient listeners,” said Nitin.
“They asked me from where the marble for Taj came, the construction period and specially the symmetry of architecture. I told them about the ‘charbagh’ pattern having gardens, a concept from Persian architecture introduced by founder of the Mughal dynasty Babar,” he said.
Nitin also explained how the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan who built the Taj Mahal was imprisoned by his son Aurangzeb when Melania Trump asked about it. He also told the guests about how the Mughal dynasty ended with the last ruler Bahadur Shah Zafar.
“They also had queries about the inlay work and other finer aspects of Taj Mahal and appreciated the way the monument is being maintained. A visibly impressed US President expressed willingness to visit the monument again,” Nitin said. When asked as to why the couple did not get clicked on the Diana seat, Nitin said he had informed the guests about the seat and the precedence of having photographs clicked while sitting on it but they chose to stand. “The couple had remarkable chemistry and walked hand in hand for long,” he said.