“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.
How air pollution, a dying river and defecating insects threaten the Taj Mahal
Garbage covers the area by the Yamuna River near the Taj Mahal in Agra, India.
http://www.telegraphherald.com/ap/international/article_32ec8874-e028-5641-8515-50f49bcf77b9.html
The once mighty Yamuna — after being dammed upstream to provide electricity for the region surrounding India’s capital, New Delhi — now runs low and thick with trash and untreated waste, and blooms with insect-attracting algae.
...He walked over to a derelict sewage treatment plant whose windows were broken and watched a pipe deliver effluent directly into the riverbed, foaming with chemicals as it cascaded down.