After taking salute from the inter-services Guard of Honor infront of Rashtrapati Bhavan, President George Bush told reporters, "I havebeen received in many capitals around the world but I have never seen areception as well-organized or as grand." This was not simply an appreciationof the traditional Indian hospitality but a reflection of the warmth that alarge section of Indians really feel for President Bush. After all, contrary totrends in most other parts of the world, 71 percent of India’s populace holdsa favourable view of the US, with 54 percent supporting President Bush’shandling of global affairs. Even before the trip to New Delhi, President Bush’spersonal standing in India was higher than even in the US (where his pollingnumbers have declined, bad week by bad week, since February 2005) and it isbound to skyrocket after the recently signed nuclear pact between the twonations.