A park that threatens Taj
5 April 2015 5:07 AM IST
Most photographs of the Taj Mahal taken before 2003 show the Yamuna river flowing close to the rear foundation of the edifice, its water in fact lapping the rear wall. But now a park developed by the Archaeological Survey of India, no doubt to beautify the area around it, has distanced the Yamuna by a good 100 hundred yards from the world-famous marble maosoleum.
This could prove dangerous for the foundation of the 17th century monument of love, which could tilt or sink, author and eminent historian of the Mughal period R. Nath has warned. The health of Taj’s foundation is dependent on the Yamuna, which should flow full and touch the rear part of the mammoth structure.
Architects and construction workers during the Mughal period and earlier were well aware of the crucial role of water and built many palaces and monuments either in the middle of a water body or on its edge. The Taj Mahal too was sited at this particular location due to the huge water body available at the back. “Without water in the Yamuna, the physical settings and natural ambience that supported the huge structure have become imbalanced, threatening the safety of the monument,” Nath told IANS on the phone from Ajmer, where he has now shifted.
In its response to an RTI query, the ASI said the park at the back was not in the original plan of the monument but was developed by its horticulture wing for reasons no one is prepared to explain. The so-called “beauty spot” was developed some years ago by K.K. Mohammed, the then ASI boss in Agra, without seeking clearance from any authority or specialised agency.
This could prove dangerous for the foundation of the 17th century monument of love, which could tilt or sink, author and eminent historian of the Mughal period R. Nath has warned. The health of Taj’s foundation is dependent on the Yamuna, which should flow full and touch the rear part of the mammoth structure.
Architects and construction workers during the Mughal period and earlier were well aware of the crucial role of water and built many palaces and monuments either in the middle of a water body or on its edge. The Taj Mahal too was sited at this particular location due to the huge water body available at the back. “Without water in the Yamuna, the physical settings and natural ambience that supported the huge structure have become imbalanced, threatening the safety of the monument,” Nath told IANS on the phone from Ajmer, where he has now shifted.
In its response to an RTI query, the ASI said the park at the back was not in the original plan of the monument but was developed by its horticulture wing for reasons no one is prepared to explain. The so-called “beauty spot” was developed some years ago by K.K. Mohammed, the then ASI boss in Agra, without seeking clearance from any authority or specialised agency.
Next Story
