Tag: Taj Mahal

  • Flood waters reach boundary wall of Taj Mahal, raising fears of damage to iconic building

    Flood waters reach boundary wall of Taj Mahal, raising fears of damage to iconic building

    Flood waters from Yamuna river have reached the boundary wall of the Taj Mahal, raising fears of damage to the most famous building in India.

    Water levels in Yamuna have risen steadily since June when unusually heavy rains hit north India including Uttar Pradesh, home to the iconic Taj. According to India’s Central Water Commission (CWC), the portion of the river flowing alongside the Taj Mahal rose to 152m on Tuesday evening, well above the warning level for potential danger of 151.4m. The level considered dangerous is 152.4 metres.

    The last time flood waters hit the boundary wall was in 1978, exactly 45 years ago.

    The mausoleum, where Mughal emperor Shah Jehan and his wife Mumtaz Mahal are buried, remains untouched by the water as of now.

    However, the red walls of the compound appear submerged in photographs shared by Indian news outlets.

  • Sindh man builds ‘mini Taj Mahal’ as a tribute for the ‘love of his life’

    Sindh man builds ‘mini Taj Mahal’ as a tribute for the ‘love of his life’

    A man in Sindh, Abdul Rasool Pali made his own replica of the Taj Mahal after he fell in love with the real Mughal monument.

    Known as the monument of love, the Taj Mahal in Agra, India was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan for his wife Mumtaz Begum. The mausoleum which houses the graves of both Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Begum has been the subject of many poems, songs and films.

    The landlord-cum-lawyer in Umerkot made an exact model of the monument 800km away.

    Speaking to BBC Urdu, Pali said that he is already famous in the village of Dhibo for building the village cemetery. He is now making waves internationally with his recreation.

    The 65-year-old has 9,000 acres of land to his name, being the largest land-owner in the area. He fell in love with the Mughal monument back in 1980 when he visited India for the first time.

    He hired a mason, Sher Muhammad for the task.

    Abdul Rasool and Sher Muhammad plotted the building in their minds to build a small Taj Mahal  with 20 feet height and 18 feet width.

    Pali shared that he got married at a very young age. His wife Maryam was 40 years old at the time while he was 18. Despite the age difference, their ‘arranged marriage’ turned into ‘love’ within a few days and the couple loved travelling together. In Hyderabad, he used to visit Rani Bagh and Jamshoro.

    After 40 years of marriage, his wife died of a stroke in 2015.

    The death of his beloved Maryam made Abdul Rasool more adamant to build the monument despite the opposition of the locals calling it a waste. It took him six months and Rs 1.3 million to tribute the love of his life.

  • Air purifier installed at Taj Mahal to save it from smog

    Air purifier installed at Taj Mahal to save it from smog

    New Delhi and the areas surrounding the city have been engulfed by a cloud of smog which is choking the city and its residents. The air quality index has reached hazardous levels as the Indian capital has been hit by the worst pollution in three years. A public health emergency has been declared and people have been advised to stay indoors.

    According to a report in Khaleej Times, as smog levels exceeded, authorities parked a van with an air purifier near the Taj Mahal – the iconic 17th-century marble mausoleum 250 kilometres (150 miles) south of Delhi – in a bid to clean the air in its surrounds.

    The air purifier van deployed by the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) has the capacity to purify 15 lakh cubic metre air in eight hours within a 300-metre radius.

    Regional Officer of UPPCB Bhuvan Yadav shared that a mobile air purifier van has been deployed at the west gate of the Taj Mahal keeping in mind the developing situation and consistent deterioration in air quality.

    Pollution around the white marble mausoleum has been a cause of concern for a long time as it has been damaging the monument, one of the seven wonders of the world. Pollution causes the white marble of the monument to turn yellow.

    Read more: Air purifiers that are effective and available

    Meanwhile, the Delhi government has declared a public health emergency in the city following the deterioration in air quality. The local government also directed the closure of all schools till November 5 in the interest of the health and safety of children. Free pollution masks were also handed to the children to limit their exposure.

    Construction work in the city has been put on hold and private cars have been banned on the roads to limit pollution.

    According to a recent study, almost one million Indians died prematurely every year as a result of inhaling this pollution-ridden smog. Experts have warned that both state and national governments needed to go beyond short-term remedies and find a solution to combat this problem which hits every year.

    Read more: Tips to beat the toxic smog this winter

    Across the border, Lahore is also suffering from the effects of smog. The air quality index in the city has also reached hazardous levels making breathing tiresome for the residents.