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Taj Mahal disappears under magic spell

Indian magician PC Sorcar Jr "made the Mughal architectural marvel disappear into thin air, leaving a blank space at the site," the Statesman of India reported.

The magician was assisted by his daughter, Maneka, who made the monument reappear after two minutes.

Sorcar performed his illusion about 400 metres from the Taj, standing on the bank of the Yamuna river.

"No, it was not mass hypnotism," a "jubilant" Sorcar was quoted as saying. "I just kept the Taj away from your eyes. It was a perfect illusion."

This was Sorcar's first performance since 1992, when he made a running train disappear.

He is also credited with making Calcutta's Victoria Memorial disappear and an aircraft vanish in Japan.

Sorcar, 53, said magic had been in his blood for eight generations. He describes himself as master of the "Indrajal" form of magic, a "theatrical representation of the wishful dream of living happily, where nothing seems impossible".

There was "nothing supernatural" in this vanishing act, he said. "This is all science, the science of controlling the mind and the willpower to create a psychic balance with the environment."

One of the wonders of the world, the Taj Mahal was built in the 17th century in memory of Emperor Shah Jahan's wife as a symbol of their eternal love.