Agra recalls Eisenhower’s 1959 trip

Agra, February 23

While the historic town of Agra in Uttar Pradesh is all set to welcome US President Donald Trump on Monday, people here recalled the visit of 34th American President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1959 along with first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.

IANS has got hold of a rare picture of Eisenhower along with Nehru to the Taj Mahal in an open car. The picture was clicked by Fine Arts studio, founded in 1937 in the city. Speaking to IANS Correspondent, Surendra Sharma, owner of the Fine Arts Studio said, “The picture of the US President with our first Prime Minister was clicked by my uncle, who founded the studio before independence.” Recalling the visit of the then US President, Sharma said, “I was a small kid then and my uncle who had a course in photography from the US clicked that picture, when Nehruji accompanied Eisenhower in the open car.”

At that time children with flags in their hand stood on the sides of the MG road to welcome the dignitaries, he said. Sharma further said that Eisenhower during his 1959 India trip also visited the Agriculture college then. He said the things changed completely after that. — IANS