Why Taj Mahal needs our loving care

Under the late afternoon sun of an October day, the Taj Mahal rose dazzling and regal, both the subject of awe for the many visitors gazing at its beauty, and a pristine backdrop to the colourful human saga around it. Time has left its sullying touch on the monument’s white marble façade. The dome especially looks somewhat soiled, as if marked by the muddy palm prints of centuries.
The 17th century monument, built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as the resting place of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, has been in the eye of a political storm recently, after it was reported that it had not been included in the Uttar Pradesh (UP) government’s list of ‘tourist attractions in the state. Earlier, the Taj – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – was excluded from the list of heritage sites that were to benefit from the UP state budget. The state government later clarified that the list of tourist draws referred only to the new projects being promoted by the government and also released a statement saying that the monument and its surrounding areas was also part of a tourism project proposal prepared in consultation with the World Bank. After the recent controversy, chief minister Yogi Adityanath has made a statement to say that the Taj is a part of our heritage and the state is serious about its preservation.