Taj Mahal to undergo major renovations for survival

AGRA: Over the past few decades, due to rapid industrialisation and pollution. The monument of Taj Mahal has been through, a lot of bad days.

Major restoration is about to be taking place in Agra at the Taj Mahal by replacing the stones around the monument.

On November 4, the Air Quality Index of Agra near the Taj Mahal was 349, whereas in the city it had reached as high as 441, which is said to be extremely hazardous.

The pollution, however, had been significantly brought down comparatively to the monuments previous reports. The control measures that have been adopted by the state and central governments in and around the Taj have done its part, this doesn't deny the fact that the Taj Mahal is wearing down faster than ever before.

The floors and walls of the monument have been and are starting to reveal visible signs of damage.

To prevent further damage to the irreplaceable marble carvings, certain measures have been taken by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) by installing barricades to prevent tourists from reaching out and touching the walls.

A tender has been taken out by ASI to replace the 400 stones on the surface of the 'Chameli Farsh', the vast floor that surrounds the main dome of the Taj Mahal.

These stone blocks are comprised of red sandstone, while a few are also of white marble, with the sizes that shall be ranging from 1 sq-ft to 9 sq-inches.

An ASI official had said that the estimated cost being incurred to replace these stones is assessed to be at Rs 22 lakh and since the entire monument is surrounded by the Chameli Farsh, being the only way to reach the main dome, these stones will be replaced all over.

The stones are being brought from Banshi Pahadpur in Rajasthan. The Taj Mahal which has been Completed in 1648, is seeing the first major restoration work taking place on the Chameli Farsh.

However, the restoration is said to be a big thing to worry about for the travel agencies and emporium owners, as they will have to manage the tourist traffic. The restoration is expected to stretch through the tourist season.