His five years of office were also one of the most eventful terms of any Indian president.
The 76-year-old Kalam threw open the doors of the presidential palace to many thousands of citizens (his estimate: about a million) and dignitaries alike.
Left: President Kalam with Britain's Prince Charles, both garden lovers, admires Rashtrapati Bhavan’s Mughal Gardens. Prince Charles was in India in October 2003.
Right: Chinese President Hu Jintao and President Kalam at a ceremony welcoming the Chinese leader in November 2006.
Photograph: Prakash Singh and Emmanuel Dunand/AFP/Getty Images
Earlier feature: Yeh dosti nahi todenge
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