Save the Taj, it’s urgent
For over three and a half centuries it has stood, a poem in marble, on the banks of the Yamuna, a testimony to the power of eternal love. But all is not well with the Taj Mahal, the monument built by a distraught Mughal emperor in memory of his beloved wife. Careless neglect over decades is causing untold harm to the Taj and experts warn that it might just be too late to save it.
We’ve heard this before and it’s a matter of regret and shame that no steps have been taken to protect it from further damage. The pollution in and around Agra has affected the white marble, turning it black and yellow and intricate decorations have fallen off. Unbridled tourism too has taken its toll. The problems are essentially manmade and the result of apathy. Simply blaming the government or the sundry authorities that are supposed to look after it will serve no purpose, as they can only do so much.
Tourism can be allowed in a controlled way — the way it is done at several international sites. Removing pollution is a long-term effort but it must be done, and the rules strictly followed. But most of all, a mindset of showing respect to monuments has to be inculcated; the Taj Mahal gets written about, but Indians in general are cavalier in the way they treat their legacy. If drastic steps are not taken immediately, we should not be surprised if we lose the Taj Mahal one day.
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