US President Donald Trump will be in Agra for a total of two hours and the administration has made all arrangements for his visit, Agra District Magistrate Prabhu Narain Singh said on Saturday. “The Chief Minister had advised us to celebrate this like a festival. The Culture Department of the UP government sent us 3,000 artists who will take part in various programmes. Over 300 artists are working (to beautify places) near Kheria Airport. We have identified 21 spots where stages will be set up for different kind of cultural programmes on February 24,” Singh said at a press conference here.

Speaking about the day when preparations had started for the event, the DM said, “We got to know that President Trump is coming to Agra on February 15. We held a meeting and began working in tandem with the Municipal Corporation, PWD, ADA and others. We had set a target to complete on infrastructure-related work by Saturday.” Singh said that citizens have been asked to welcome President Trump, along the entire route from Kheria airport to Agra.

“There will be citizens, including senior children and common people, along the left and right along the entire stretch of road from Kheria airport to Taj Mahal which is exactly 10.5 kilometers. They have been asked to come to welcome the President. Arrangements have also made been made to provide water, food to them and there will also be toilets for the people,” he said. He also said that the security checks, mapping of structures and verification of people on both the main and the contingency route have been completed.

Trump, accompanied by wife Melania, daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner along with the US delegation will visit Agra on February 24. Agra has been spruced up ahead of Trump’s visit. Walls on the route from Kheria airport to the Taj Mahal are painted with images of the US flag and the US President with “Namaste Trump” written under it.

According to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the Taj Mahal will remain closed for the general public from 12 noon on February 24 during the US President’s visit. Trump will be on a two-day visit to India from February 24 at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Donald Trump also becomes the first American President to visit India with his wife and daughter and son-in-law in tow. Bill Clinton came with daughter not wife, Jackie Kennedy came minus husband, Hillary came minus husband but with daughter. Obama Eisenhower, Nixon, Carter and George W Bush came with wives and not children. Trump is not known not to be too fond of traveling abroad. His Asia visits are few and far between. Hence, this visit in an election year is significant.