Tuesday 10 January 2012

A Tragedy unfolding for the Taj Mahal

It been quite widely reported that the Taj Mahal in Agra, India and one of the wonders of the world is in danger of collapse within two to five years.  In 2010, cracks appeared in parts of the tomb, and the minarets which surround the monument were showing signs of tilting. The problem is the decline in the water level of the Yamuna River which is dropping at a rate of 1.5m a year causing the wooden foundation of the tomb to rot due to lack of water.

The Taj  has a wonderful example of the chahar bagh form of garden in front of it - but sadly now denuded of the riot of flowers with which it was once filled. 

The Taj also has another garden that few visit.  On the other side of the Yamuna River is the Mahtab Bagh or Moonlight Garden (different links).
An 18th century view showing the chahar bagh in the foreground and the mahtab bagh in the distance.
There is more on the Mahtab Bagh at the start of this episode of Monty Don's 'Around the World in 80 Gardens'.



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