New Delhi, Sep 14 (PTI) After extensively covering the two-day BRICS Summit for a large television network, Istanbul-based journalist couple Yunus and Fulya Soner now have their eyes set on the Taj Mahal — the architectural marvel in Agra they wish to see on Monday before heading back to Turkiye.
Yunus, a correspondent for teleSUR television network based in Venezuela, said this is the first time that his wife has travelled to the east of Turkiye, and during the Summit coverage, she had expressed her desire to see this iconic landmark.
“We came to India on a work visit. Now, with the Summit in Delhi being over, we have just a day off on Monday, and she desires that we should visit the iconic monument Taj Mahal,” he told PTI on Sunday at the International Media Centre hosted at the Bharat Mandapam complex.
The Soners, both political scientists, interacted with many Indian journalists during the Summit coverage, and also expressed inquisitiveness to know more about the Indian food served to mediapersons at the venue.
Fulya on Sunday evening said, “We are getting just one day off after the Summit. So, it’s decided, we will go to the Taj.” Taj Mahal, one of the seven wonders of the world and a 17th century marvel in marble, was built over a period of 22 years by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal. It is one of the major tourist attractions in India and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Hundreds of foreign journalists from BRICS member and partner countries converged in the national capital to cover the Summit under India’s Chairship on September 12 and 13.
In a major diplomatic victory for India, the BRICS grouping adopted a consensus joint New Delhi Declaration on Saturday.
Journalists from China, Russia, South Africa, Kazakhstan, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Malaysia, the UAE, Indonesia, among others, reported on the Summit and its outcomes.
Between filing their reports for newspapers or TV channels, a cross-section of these mediapersons spoke to PTI on their experience of covering the 18th BRICS Summit and what they wish to explore in India before returning home.
While most of them will start departing soon, a group of about 60 journalists are visiting New Delhi as part of a “special familiarisation trip” coinciding with the BRICS Summit, and on Monday, the batch is scheduled to visit Mumbai.
The trip is being organised by the Ministry of External Affairs. Various familiarisation trips are organised by the MEA from time to time. This one is special as it was aligned with the Summit, so that they could see Delhi and also cover the Summit, people familiar with the matter said.
“On Monday, they will be departing for Mumbai, where they are set to explore city life, Mumbai Metro Rail, Bombay Stock Exchange and National Payments Corporation of India,” a person cited above told PTI on Sunday evening.
They will also get to know about the municipal administration of Mumbai, as they are set to meet the commissioner of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) at its iconic building in the Fort area, another person familiar with the matter said.
In Mumbai, they have a packed itinerary from September 14-17, and the leisure trip includes a visit to the Gateway of India, the historic Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sanghralaya, besides a trip to the famous Elephanta Caves on September 17. They will return to their respective countries on September 18.
On September 16, they are to visit the Film City and have some local market shopping experience too, as per the itinerary.
Yasmin Natasha, 27, a Malaysian journalist who also covered the BRICS Summit, told PTI on Sunday, “We visited the Taj on September 10; it was wonderful, and now we will be going to Mumbai tomorrow.” Several foreign journalists who visited New Delhi for the BRICS Summit said it was their first-ever trip to India, and they enjoyed the experience and desired to explore more beyond work if they had time.
Huang Yue, a reporter, is part of the 12-member team from Beijing-headquartered China Global Television Network (CGTN) which covered the mega Summit.
“Since my school and college days, we always talked about the culture of other countries, clothes, architecture, etc, and both India and China, being old civilisations, have had a long history and it’s always great to have cultural and people-to-people exchanges,” she told PTI.
Huang said if she has time, she would like to “explore some of the sightseeing places in Delhi. I haven’t even been to the India Gate yet”.
Indonesian journalist Fahri Zulfikar, who works for a news portal, was also in New Delhi to cover the Summit.
“Cultural ties are important, and India and Indonesia also have a historic connection. We have the famous temples which are also visited by Indian tourists,” he said.
A native and resident of Yogyakarta, Zulfikar also recalled Prime Minister Modi’s trip to this region during his official visit to Indonesia in July 2026. PTI KND MNK MNK MNK
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.