In happier times the Taj was a monument of renowned purity. shutterstock
Posted on 08/13/2018 8:55:29 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
The saying goes that the Taj Mahal is pinkish in the morning, milky white in the evening, and golden when the moon shines. Though this may once have been true for the famously pristine marble monument, a mixture of pollution and poor management has now burdened the Taj with a 24-hour layer of yellowy-brown. Condemning the "lethargy" of restoration efforts, India's Supreme Court recently told the government to restore the Taj or demolish it.
Located in Agra, in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, the Taj Mahal is one of the most iconically beautiful buildings in the world. Built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan as a testament to his grief, following the death of his first wife Mumtaz Mahal, Rabindranath Tagore called it "a tear running down the cheek of time".
The Taj was constructed of translucent white marble, brought to Agra from the north-west Indian region of Rajasthan. It was then inlaid with semiprecious stones, including jasper, jade, turquoise, lapis lazuli, sapphire and carnelian. The whole riverside complex, including the gardens and surrounding sandstone walls, was finished in 1653...
Allegedly, excrement from the many insects that thrive in the contaminated river water has hastened the damage, but the effect is surely negligible compared to that of fossil fuel-derived sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide.
Since 1998, a range of Indian research institutes have explored restoration methods, and millions have been spent trying to reverse the discolouration. One attempt involved smothering the Taj with damp clay poultices similar to face packs. It was hoped they would draw the damaging acids out of the surface layers of marble, but, if anything, they seem to have made the situation worse.
(Excerpt) Read more at theconversation.com ...
In happier times the Taj was a monument of renowned purity. shutterstock
Condemning the "lethargy" of restoration efforts, India's Supreme Court recently told the government to restore the Taj or demolish it.
Tough crowd.
If only you were at the same point......
Wasn’t that place regarded as one of the Seven Wonders of the World? We don’t require such lists anymore. The known world is too big to limit the top to only seven.
I *am* on a diet, but my weight loss doesn't equal your loss of brain tissue.
Could be, there was some kind of poll taken to build a new Seven Wonders list, since the only surviving one from the alleged ancient list is the Great Pyramid. The rotunda of the Library of Congress should be on such a list, along with the Pantheon in Rome, and the so called Treasury of Atreus from Mycenaean Greece (it existed during the ancient era, but hadn't been looted at that time, so was unknown). Hmm, all are domes, maybe I need to build a Seven Domed Wonders list...
I was there in 1997. The grounds are immaculate, but surrounding it is one of the filthiest places in the world. Not surprising that they couldn’t maintain it In that environment.
The Jewell of Muslim Art in India.
What a shame...
.
Are you saying that the Great Pyramid has a dome?
Ah, here we go, the New Seven Wonders, which has eight items (they threw Zahi Hawass a bone and gave the Great Pyramid an honorable mention):
Great Wall of China
Petra
Christ the Redeemer (statue in Brazil)
Machu Picchu
Chichen Itza
Colosseum
Taj Mahal
Great Pyramid of Giza (honorary candidate)
But... do the Hindus really want renovations?
Plus, India still has The Plague.
A little bit touchy there.....
Nope, I wouldn’t include the Great Pyramid, although it is very nice in its ruined state.
I have not been there but a few years back saw some photos of the surrounding area. It was shocking.
If the Taj were a Hindu temple, there might be more interest and more gubmint cash to do the conservation work. Naturally I would not want to get involved in their internal matters.
Hey, isn’t this just what we do, and don’t you always start it?
Just some spitballing for a Seven Wonders list, ancient stuff only:
http://www.google.com/search?q=Gobekli+tepe
http://www.google.com/search?q=baalbek
several to choose from here:
http://www.google.com/search?q=underground+city+anatolia
Roman underground aqueduct, over 100km in length:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2232683/posts
http://www.google.com/search?q=teotihuacan
http://www.google.com/search?q=newgrange
http://www.google.com/search?q=treasury+of+atreus
“I was there in 1997. The grounds are immaculate, but surrounding it is one of the filthiest places in the world”.
My Dad said the same thing about the place. He said it was very immaculate and beautiful but once off the grounds, it was filthy.
I have a picture of my Dad and other American soldiers at the Taj Mahal during WW II.
Gotta make room for more slums.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
