Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf arrived in Jaipur, the capital city of Rajasthan in west India, on Saturday to start a three-day visit to India.

Upon his arrival, he immediately took off in a helicopter for the Muslim shrine of Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti at Ajmer, around 100 kilometers southwest of Jaipur.

Wearing a starched white salwar kameez, Musharraf accompanied by his wife Sehba walked out of a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) plane that flew in from Islamabad, according to local TV news program.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and Pakistani diplomats who had arrived from New Delhi warmly received the couple, presenting them bouquets.

The president and his wife then walked to an Indian Air Force MI-17 helicopter parked nearby to go to Ajmer to pray at the revered shrine of the 13th century Sufi saint, Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti.

From Ajmer, he will return to Jaipur for going to New Delhi for talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday and also to watch the final India-Pakistan cricket match.

This is Musharraf's first visit to India since July 2001 when his meeting with then Indian prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, was collapsed.

Musharraf will leave Monday for Manila to continue his foreign visit.