Iranian MPs visit Taj Mahal, hail ‘shared civilisational heritage’ with India

Agra: Members of Iran’s Parliament visiting India for the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum toured the Taj Mahal on Tuesday, with the Iranian Embassy describing the monument as a symbol of the centuries-old cultural ties between the two countries.

The delegation was led by Ahmad Naderi, a member of the Presidium of Iran’s Islamic Consultative Assembly. The embassy shared photographs of the visit on X, highlighting the Taj Mahal’s blend of Persian influences and Indian architectural craftsmanship.

“Members of Iran’s Parliament visited the iconic Taj Mahal, a timeless masterpiece reflecting the rich artistic heritage of India and the centuries-old cultural dialogue between Iran and India,” the embassy said.

It added that the monument’s Persian-inspired gardens and calligraphy, alongside India’s craftsmanship and architectural traditions, illustrated how different civilisations have influenced and enriched one another.
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Embassy highlights cultural links between Iran and India

The embassy also invoked Iranian poet Sohrab Sepehri’s poem The Traveller in its description of the monument.

“As Iranian poet Sohrab Sepehri beautifully evoked in ‘The Traveller’, the Taj Mahal reflected in the Yamuna becomes a moment where art, life, and eternity meet,” the embassy said, describing the monument as a “shared civilisational heritage” connecting the peoples of India and Iran across generations.
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Iranian delegation meets Modi, Jaishankar and Om Birla

The Taj Mahal visit followed a series of engagements by the Iranian parliamentary representatives in New Delhi. On Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Congress MP Shashi Tharoor met members of the delegation on the sidelines of the BRICS Parliamentary Forum.

The Iranian Embassy said the courtesy calls underscored the importance of bilateral relations between the two countries.

The delegation also met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Tuesday and held talks with him, according to the embassy.

The 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum was held in New Delhi on October 26 and 27, bringing together parliamentary leaders from BRICS member and partner countries to discuss cooperation and people-centric development.

The Iranian delegation arrived in New Delhi on Sunday to participate in the forum.