Taj Mahal: mud-pack treatment for pollution stains
June 14 BBC
India's iconic Taj Mahal monument is to be given a mud-pack to remove
yellow pollution stains, archaeologists say.The treatment is hoped to
restore the natural sheen and colour of the white marble monument.
It will be the fourth time the 17th century mausoleum has had the
treatment.The last mud-pack was applied in 2008, but pollution levels
around the monument remain high and officials say it needs cleaning
again.The Taj Mahal sits on the bank of the Yamuna River, at the city of
Agra in India's northern state of Uttar Pradesh.It was completed by the
Emperor Shah Jahan in 1653 as a mausoleum for his third and favourite
wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth to their 14th child.
The monument's complex structure of white marble domes and minarets
inlaid with semi-precious stones and carvings is considered the finest
example of Mughal art in India. In 1983, the Taj Mahal became an Unesco
World Heritage site and attracts millions of visitors each year.But it
also has to contend with pollution from the busy and industrial city of
Agra and a nearby oil refinery. Due to increasing pollution in the city,
the white marble is yellowing and is losing its sheen,” B M Bhatnagar
from the Archeological Survey of India told the Press Trust of India.Mr
Bhatnagar said the chemical department of the Archeological Survey has
already begun the process to make the mud-pack.
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