INDIA 18-27 February 2008 Famed cultural festival in Agra a spotlight on threats to nearby Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahotsav or Taj Mahal Utsav festival at Agra celebrates the cultural heritage of Uttar Pradesh and is a reminder of the threats to the nearby Taj Mahal, India's monument to love and its most popular tourist attraction. The famed marble palace that was recently listed among the "New Seven Wonders of the World" is under attack from pollution, and a dispute has grown up over the question of how to restore it.
The Action Taken Report of the environment ministry, presented to the Indian parliament in 2002, attributed the rising levels of pollution to the heavy vehicular traffic passing through Agra.
In the first week of Oct 2007 the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) proposed using a mud-pack treatment of multani mitti on the monument’s main dome and arches to give it a face-lift. The compound, also known as Fuller’s Earth, is a natural bleaching agent. It's a six month process. The restorative measure is under fire from conservationalists, who say there is no history of multani mitti being used on large marble buildings in Greece, Italy or anywhere else in the world."
This is only the latest of the controversies surrounding the monument. In 1993 the Supreme Court of India set up a high-powered committee under renowned environmental scientist S. Varadarajan to study the pollution problems affecting historical monuments. The committee came up with suggestions that have been ignored by successive state governments of Uttar Pradesh and even by the Indian environment ministry.
The Taj Mahal was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan between 1632 and 1654 for his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Soon after its completion, Shah Jahan was deposed by his son and imprisoned at the nearby Agra Fort.
The highlight of the Taj Mahotsav is a procession inspired by the Mughal rulers of India from the 16th Century until 1857, when the colonial British government took charge.
The monument was awarded its place on the list of "New Seven Wonders of the World, at a ceremony in Lisbon on 7 Jul 2007.
Source:: http://www.newsahead.com/preview/2008/02/18/india-18-27-february-2008-agra-festival-spotlights-threats-to-taj-mahal/index.php
The Action Taken Report of the environment ministry, presented to the Indian parliament in 2002, attributed the rising levels of pollution to the heavy vehicular traffic passing through Agra.
In the first week of Oct 2007 the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) proposed using a mud-pack treatment of multani mitti on the monument’s main dome and arches to give it a face-lift. The compound, also known as Fuller’s Earth, is a natural bleaching agent. It's a six month process. The restorative measure is under fire from conservationalists, who say there is no history of multani mitti being used on large marble buildings in Greece, Italy or anywhere else in the world."
This is only the latest of the controversies surrounding the monument. In 1993 the Supreme Court of India set up a high-powered committee under renowned environmental scientist S. Varadarajan to study the pollution problems affecting historical monuments. The committee came up with suggestions that have been ignored by successive state governments of Uttar Pradesh and even by the Indian environment ministry.
The Taj Mahal was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan between 1632 and 1654 for his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Soon after its completion, Shah Jahan was deposed by his son and imprisoned at the nearby Agra Fort.
The highlight of the Taj Mahotsav is a procession inspired by the Mughal rulers of India from the 16th Century until 1857, when the colonial British government took charge.
The monument was awarded its place on the list of "New Seven Wonders of the World, at a ceremony in Lisbon on 7 Jul 2007.
Source:: http://www.newsahead.com/preview/2008/02/18/india-18-27-february-2008-agra-festival-spotlights-threats-to-taj-mahal/index.php
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