The Taj Mahal — under Environmental and Political Threat.
I have wanted to visit the Taj Mahal for a long time now, my father has been fortunate in that he has been five times! I am not going to go into an exhaustive recounting of the history and the architecture of the Taj Mahal, more on the current environmental and political dispute that threaten this exquisite homage to love of a King to his Queen.
Just a brief recap :- The Taj Mahal is actually a mausoleum on the south bank of the Yamuna River in Agra, Uttar Pradesh. It was commissioned in 1632 by the Mughal emperor — Shah Jahan in memory of his favourite wife — Mumtaz Mahal who died giving birth to their 14th child. It is one of the 7 new Wonders of the World as well as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. (Image above attributed to CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3241666)
The ivory white marble tomb is the centrepiece of a 42 acre complex which includes a mosque, guest house and is set in formal gardens. Construction was completed in 1643, but work continued on other phases for another 10 years. It is estimated that it cost 32 million rupees — which in US Dollars was over $200M at the time! Over 20,000 artisans were employed and more than 1000 elephants were used to transport the construction materials under the guidance of the court architect — Ustad Ahmad Lahauri.
Environmental Threats :-
Concerns for the tomb’s structural integrity have been raised. The Taj Mahal is cracking at an alarming rate due to a lack of ground water beneath the structure — even the minarets (fortunately designed to lean outwards away from the main tomb) are beginning to lean. This is because of a decline in the ground water level in the Yamuna River basin (falling at a rate of about 1.5m (5ft) a year) — this is causing the wooden foundations to rot. In 2011 it was predicted that the mausoleum could collapse within 5 years…..
Pollution on the banks of the Yamuna River which include acid rain due to the Mathura Oil Refinery, untreated sewerage and chemical run off from Dehli (which lies upstream and Agra itself) coupled with air contamination in Agra have been turning the Taj Mahal yellow.
Image from newsbharati.com
The Indian government set up the Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ) — a 10,400 square kilometre (4,000 square miles) area around the monument where strict emissions standards are in place nearly a decade ago.
However despite the efforts to limit the damage to the Taj Mahal — recent reports have found that emissions of Nitrogen Oxide and particulates had reached much higher levels that forced authorities to act nearly a decade ago.
warms of Goeldichrionomus insects which breed on the stagnant water of the Yamuna River are infesting the marble walls of the Taj Mahal leaving greenish black patches all over the intricate floral inlay works.
Image from BBC.com
Pollution had done “what 350 years of wars. invasions and natural disasters have failed to do and have begun to mar the magnificent walls of the Taj Mahal” — President Bill Clinton.
Political Threats
Yet again the Taj Mahal — India’s most famous attraction is under attack by some of the members of India’s ruling party — the Bharatiya Janata Party (or BJP).
Most recently Sangeet Som said that the monument was a ‘blot on Indian Culture’ and was built by traitors.
The BJP distanced itself from Som’s comments. The party’s general secretary, Vijay Bahadur Pathak, said the Taj Mahal is part of Indian pride. “Whatever Som said is his personal view. BJP has nothing to do with it,” he noted.
“the Ramayana and the Gita represent Indian culture and not the Taj Mahal.”
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath — last June
Yogi Aditayanth also said that the Taj Mahal did not represent “Indian Culture”.
This is not the first time that the federal government has been accused of trying to change history — especially India’s Muslim rulers of the past.
The Government of Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state has removed the Taj Mahal from it’s official tourism booklet published earlier this month.
Now terrorist threats have been reported….
Security has been stepped up around the Monument — but the threat isn’t just from ISIS, but also possibly from mobs being allowed to damage or destroy the Taj Mahal for being a symbol of Islamic repressive rule… this was seen on December 6th 1992 when the Babri mosque structure fell in Ayodhya. Intolerance is not just confined to Islam — in 2006–7 in Kandhamal Churches and seminaries of ‘anti-national’ Christians were also attacked.
So what’s next for this iconic building? Tourist visitors to the Tah Mahal in 2012 were nearly 7.5 Million, but in 2014 numbers had decreased to 6.48 Million. I haven’t been able to get figures for 2015/16 but the trend seems to be continuing.
Reasons touted for the drop in visitor numbers were due to crime — but surely the pollution and illegal building activities around the Taj Mahal have to be a big factor. Now the Taj Mahal has been removed from the official tourism booklet of it’s home state it’s time for UNESCO to step in and try and save the iconic landmark.
Call Claire — 011 025 4458
bluedesigns5@gmail.com
I love Architecture. I think it’s vital to talk about all aspects of Architecture — whether it be planning, construction, design or green building. I have written 3 E-Books & over 110 articles. Please feel free to let me know if you have any queries regarding architecture, planning & construction & I will assist you.
I am originally from the UK and moved to South Africa in 1999. I started Blue Designs in 2004 after working as a driver for Avalon Construction on a luxury home in the Featherbrook Estate. In my spare time I am an artist and writer.
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Other Articles I have written include :-
Building Green? Here are some tips.
Common Mistakes People make when Designing a House
The Advantages of Sustainable Building
Considering Buying or Renovating a Heritage Home? Pros and Cons
Renovation vs New Construction — which is Greener and Better for the Environment?
Bizarre Buildings Part Two — Space Age Fantasy
Weird and Wonderful Buildings Part Three — Three Buildings that make Music
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