TAJ CHANGES COLOUR

THE NATION WANTS TO KNOW….

HAS THE COLOUR OF THE TAJ MAHAL CHANGED

By Brij Khandelwal

Agra June 9 (IANS) 

Has the colour of the Taj Mahal changed from dazzling white to pale yellow or green?

This is the question that everyone from the Supreme Court justices to the ordinary visitor to the 17^th century monument of love has been asking of late. 

The colonies of bacterias that developed in the pores of the rough surface of the Taj Mahal at several points led the apex court to question if the colour was turning green or brown.

To us (the Fair and Lovely colour-conscious variety of Indians) the changing colours of the the Taj Mahal, is a matter of grave concern.

The first question most domestic tourists especially women, ask is "why the sparkling white sheen has turned pale yellow or grey. And why Mughal emperor Shah Jahan did not complete his black Taj Mahal project?"

Did the Taj Mahal look moonlight-washed till some years ago? Even the government bodies and the Supreme Court justices are obsessed with this "white-colour obsession." A committee of experts is presently studying the colour of the Taj Mahal.

Union minister for culture Mahesh Sharma on world environment day, disclosed in Agra that a plan to conduct colour spectography to determine the 'true' colour of the Taj Mahal has been worked out. The report will tell us what was the original colour of the Taj Mahal and how it compares with what is today, he explained. 

Meanwhile, the Archaeological Survey of India continues its controversial beauty-parlour-treatment with Multani Mitti (Fuller's Earth). The compulsory need to whiten through bleaching process, the ageing colour of the Taj Mahal to make it appealing to 'white obsessed' Indians, has made mud-pack therapy a permanent activity. Work has now begun on the dome.

The problem is that they are not addressing the critical issues, like air pollution with an alarming rise in the SPM level and the Yamuna river pollution, responsible for a bunch of problems, laments eminent Mughal historian Prof R Nath. 

Despite numerous promises by successive governments, Supreme Court intervention, NGT initiatives and launching of countless number of campaigns to secure Agra and its historical monuments from environmental pollution, the ground reality paints a dismal picture as both nature and men conspire to hasten the process of decadence in this premier Mughal metropolis.

River Yamuna, sick with toxic pollutants is virtually dead. The air quality continues to remain alarming as an increasing number of vehicles spit noxious gases, fumes and harmful emissions. The suspended particulate matter in the ambient air remains higher than the standard for the eco-sensitive Taj Trapezium Zone, spread over 10,400 sq km. The green cover in the district has come down to pathetic 6.71 percent. Compare this with Delhi 35 and Chandigarh 45.

Of the 400 odd community ponds, only a few survive. The irrigation network, an extensive canal system that the British colonialists left behind, is mostly encroached upon. The six tributaries of Yamuna in the district remain choked with garbage and sludge round the year.

Who can deny that Agra, the city of the Taj Mahal and several other architectural wonders which attract lakhs of visitors from all parts of the globe annually, is unfortunately showing no signs of revival.

"The decadent city is urgently in need of focused attention to streamline civic amenities and overhaul its tourism infrastructure," says social activist Shravan Kumar Singh. “When the Mughals ruled, Agra was a mega metro, more developed than London and Paris, according to many European travel writers of the 17th century. The British looked after Agra with care. However after independence the city has been a victim of lobbying and consistent step-motherly treatment,” Singh added.

When the Supreme Court took up the PIL by MC Mehta in 1992, a series of measures based on recommendations of the high powered Dr S Varadrajan committee report were taken. Industries were closed or forced to move out. Uninterrupted power supply was ordered. The Mathura Oil Refinery was told to install hydro cracker unit and use low sulphur crude for processing.

However, the cumulative impact of various measures initiated, were neutralized by massive construction, concretization, denudation, urbanization, and substantial hike in the number of vehicles. The Yamuna Expressway and the Agra Lucknow Expressway resulted in reduction of the green cover and increased road traffic phenomenally.

While the union culture ministry and the apex court discuss the varied hues of the Taj Mahal and the factors that led to colour change, citizens plead for restoring the original heritage city status for Agra.

It is no rocket science calling for involvement of experts to find out why and how the Taj was being disfigured or discoloured. They have destroyed the original landscape and natural balance of the area around the Taj Mahal. The river Yamuna which was the main vital force sustaining the huge monument is reduced to a gutter. Mudpack treatment, development of the artificial park at the rear of the Taj Mahal, and the controversial heritage corridor, and the totally incompetent bureaucratic machinery for its conservation have all collectively impacted the Taj Mahal, opines eminent Mughal historian Prof R Nath.