AGRA: India's best loved, much visited and most famous — by far — monument is in some real and present danger.
On Diwali weekend, there were a staggering and unbelievable 1.5 lakh people inside the Taj Mahal, and doing pretty much what they pleased. While many were merrily clicking pictures in the mausoleum (a strict no), others were running their sweaty palms down Taj Mahalof love (another big no).
And as shoe covers had run out of stock (as usual), innumerable tourists were seen stomping around in their shoes, turning the lone policeman's duty there into a nightmare. Experts now believe that if this kind of unregulated and undisciplined traffic goes on, the damage to India's biggest tourist attraction will be irreversible.
The extended Diwali weekend starting Thursday was said to be the reason for this record sale of tickets at the Taj. This chaotic situation was, however, not really unprecedented. It's quite often of late that thousands of visitors, many of them unruly, have converged at the 360-year-old tomb and Unesco world heritage site.
According to Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) data, a total of 44,458 tickets were sold on Saturday, while this figure stood at 41,893 on Sunday, adding to around 86,351 tourists. But what this figure hides is the fact that tickets are not charged for children up to 15 years of age and they make up a large portion of visitors. Plus, massive number of government officials do not pay up, and then there are scores of photographers and local residents always milling around. One can easily add another 70,000 or so to the over 80,000 who bought tickets, said Surendra Sharma, president of thMandal Heritage Conservation Society, a fact that ASI officials, too, attest.
e Braj
"The seventh wonder of the world is losing its sheen with thousands of people rubbing their palms at every possible space. If this assault continues, the shine will be lost forever," a worried Sharma said on Monday. "When tourist entry (to the Taj Mahal) can be regulated by the Supreme Court on five days of the month around the full moon nights, why can't it be done on regular days?" Only 400 tourists are allowed each night for five days when night viewing is allowed here.
As of now, though, any number of people can enter the monument at any point of time. Many times, during peak seasons and several other occasions, the number of tourists inside the complex crosses 60,000 to 70,000. This could prove dangerously harmful.
Ram Nath, a noted historian and a leading authority on the Taj, said, "There has been an alarming increase in the human load on the fragile monument. Officially, there are around 70 lakh visitors based on ticket sales, but if you include number of children up to 15 years who are given free entry, besides officials and other such people, a total of one crore people visit the monument. This is too much for a 360-year-old structure, which was never meant to carry such a huge burden. If action is not taken, it might sink in the coming years."
Nath further added that the red sandstone pathway on which people walk are being frequently changed due to wear and tear. "They (the red stone path) were never changed for the first 250 years, but these days they are being replaced every now and then. The marble stairs leading to the mausoleum have already been covered by wood as they are completely eroded. The entire ambience of the Taj is in jeopardy." Nath has recently written to the Union ministry of culture and tourism drawing its attention to the "increasing human load" on the Taj.
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(Tourists stand in front of the Taj Mahal: File photo)
During the weekend, when long serpentine queues gathered at all the three gates of the Taj Mahal and people were seen waiting for more than an hour to gain entry to the mausoleum, there was very few CISF personnel to frisk the tourists and scan their belongings. It soon had become a veritable free for all.
There were no guards or security personnel to guide the visitors either, due to which the crowd spilled in every possible direction inside the complex. From the main gateway of the Taj to the mausoleum, there were just a sprinkling of ASI attendants and CISF personnel and most of time they remained mute spectators looking helplessly at the surging crowds.
The scenario at the main structure was no different and hundreds of people were sitting on the floor surrounding it in violation of rules and regulations. Chaos prevailed inside the mausoleum where the shrines of Shah Jahan and his wife Mumtaz are kept.
Moreover, the ASI has not been able to implement its ban on photography inside the structure. Hundreds of visitors could be seen on both Saturday and Sunday clicking pictures of the interiors of the monument with their cameras and mobile phones. And this throughout the day. Visitors hardly paid any attention to the several notices and signages requesting them not to.
The reason for a ban on photography inside the main structure is the harm that can be caused to the marble walls due to photochemical reactions from the light emitted by flashes in both cameras and phones
Then, acute staff crunch in the ASI is another major hurdle in the maintenance of the Taj Mahal. "There is need for at least 60-70 attendants in the Taj Mahal alone, but at most 35 are deployed," sources said.
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ASI officials said they are now "seriously" mulling on a limit to the number of tourists who can visit the Taj Mahal on any given day. With online ticketing becoming operational by this year's end, officials said a provision will also be made to issue a limited number of tickets per day. The Union ministry of culture and tourism has already given its nod to start e-ticketing at the Taj Mahal by next year March-end.
Shravan Kumar, an Agra-based environmentalist, said, "There is a conflict of interest between conservationists and the tourism lobby. The latter wants more tourists to come to Agra, but that should not be done at the cost of losing the Taj Mahal. After all, it is this monument which is giving the revenue.": India's best loved, much visited and most famous -- by far -- monument is in some real and present danger.
On Diwali weekend, there were a staggering and unbelievable 1.5 lakh people inside the Taj Mahal, and doing pretty much what they pleased. While many were merrily clicking pictures in the mausoleum (a strict no), others were running their sweaty palms down Shah Jahan's labour of love (another big no).
And as shoe covers had run out of stock (as usual), innumerable tourists were seen stomping around in their shoes, turning the lone policeman's duty there into a nightmare. Experts now believe that if this kind of unregulated and undisciplined traffic goes on, the damage to India's biggest tourist attraction will be irreversible.
The extended Diwali weekend starting Thursday was said to be the reason for this record sale of tickets at the Taj. This chaotic situation was, however, not really unprecedented. It's quite often of late that thousands of visitors, many of them unruly, have converged at the 360-year-old tomb and Unesco world heritage site.
According to Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) data, a total of 44,458 tickets were sold on Saturday, while this figure stood at 41,893 on Sunday, adding to around 86,351 tourists. But what this figure hides is the fact that tickets are not charged for children up to 15 years of age and they make up a large portion of visitors. Plus, massive number of government officials do not pay up, and then there are scores of photographers and local residents always milling around. One can easily add another 70,000 or so to the over 80,000 who bought tickets, said Surendra Sharma, president of the Braj Mandal Heritage Conservation Society, a fact that ASI officials, too, attest.
"The seventh wonder of the world is losing its sheen with thousands of people rubbing their palms at every possible space. If this assault continues, the shine will be lost forever," a worried Sharma said on Monday. "When tourist entry (to the Taj Mahal) can be regulated by the Supreme Court on five days of the month around the full moon nights, why can't it be done on regular days?" Only 400 tourists are allowed each night for five days when night viewing is allowed here.
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As of now, though, any number of people can enter the monument at any point of time. Many times, during peak seasons and several other occasions, the number of tourists inside the complex crosses 60,000 to 70,000. This could prove dangerously harmful.
Ram Nath, a noted historian and a leading authority on the Taj, said, "There has been an alarming increase in the human load on the fragile monument. Officially, there are around 70 lakh visitors based on ticket sales, but if you include number of children up to 15 years who are given free entry, besides officials and other such people, a total of one crore people visit the monument. This is too much for a 360-year-old structure, which was never meant to carry such a huge burden. If action is not taken, it might sink in the coming years."
Nath further added that the red sandstone pathway on which people walk are being frequently changed due to wear and tear. "They (the red stone path) were never changed for the first 250 years, but these days they are being replaced every now and then. The marble stairs leading to the mausoleum have already been covered by wood as they are completely eroded. The entire ambience of the Taj is in jeopardy." Nath has recently written to the Union ministry of culture and tourism drawing its attention to the "increasing human load" on the Taj.
During the weekend, when long serpentine queues gathered at all the three gates of the Taj Mahal and people were seen waiting for more than an hour to gain entry to the mausoleum, there was very few CISF personnel to frisk the tourists and scan their belongings. It soon had become a veritable free for all.
There were no guards or security personnel to guide the visitors either, due to which the crowd spilled in every possible direction inside the complex. From the main gateway of the Taj to the mausoleum, there were just a sprinkling of ASI attendants and CISF personnel and most of time they remained mute spectators looking helplessly at the surging crowds.
The scenario at the main structure was no different and hundreds of people were sitting on the floor surrounding it in violation of rules and regulations. Chaos prevailed inside the mausoleum where the shrines of Shah Jahan and his wife Mumtaz are kept.
Moreover, the ASI has not been able to implement its ban on photography inside the structure. Hundreds of visitors could be seen on both Saturday and Sunday clicking pictures of the interiors of the monument with their cameras and mobile phones. And this throughout the day. Visitors hardly paid any attention to the several notices and signages requesting them not to.
The reason for a ban on photography inside the main structure is the harm that can be caused to the marble walls due to photochemical reactions from the light emitted by flashes in both cameras and phones
Then, acute staff crunch in the ASI is another major hurdle in the maintenance of the Taj Mahal. "There is need for at least 60-70 attendants in the Taj Mahal alone, but at most 35 are deployed," sources said.
ASI officials said they are now "seriously" mulling on a limit to the number of tourists who can visit the Taj Mahal on any given day. With online ticketing becoming operational by this year's end, officials said a provision will also be made to issue a limited number of tickets per day. The Union ministry of culture and tourism has already given its nod to start e-ticketing at the Taj Mahal by next year March-end.
Shravan Kumar, an Agra-based environmentalist, said, "There is a conflict of interest between conservationists and the tourism lobby. The latter wants more tourists to come to Agra, but that should not be done at the cost of losing the Taj Mahal. After all, it is this monument which is giving the revenue."
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On Diwali weekend, there were a staggering and unbelievable 1.5 lakh people inside the Taj Mahal, and doing pretty much what they pleased. While many were merrily clicking pictures in the mausoleum (a strict no), others were running their sweaty palms down Taj Mahalof love (another big no).
And as shoe covers had run out of stock (as usual), innumerable tourists were seen stomping around in their shoes, turning the lone policeman's duty there into a nightmare. Experts now believe that if this kind of unregulated and undisciplined traffic goes on, the damage to India's biggest tourist attraction will be irreversible.
The extended Diwali weekend starting Thursday was said to be the reason for this record sale of tickets at the Taj. This chaotic situation was, however, not really unprecedented. It's quite often of late that thousands of visitors, many of them unruly, have converged at the 360-year-old tomb and Unesco world heritage site.
According to Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) data, a total of 44,458 tickets were sold on Saturday, while this figure stood at 41,893 on Sunday, adding to around 86,351 tourists. But what this figure hides is the fact that tickets are not charged for children up to 15 years of age and they make up a large portion of visitors. Plus, massive number of government officials do not pay up, and then there are scores of photographers and local residents always milling around. One can easily add another 70,000 or so to the over 80,000 who bought tickets, said Surendra Sharma, president of thMandal Heritage Conservation Society, a fact that ASI officials, too, attest.
e Braj
"The seventh wonder of the world is losing its sheen with thousands of people rubbing their palms at every possible space. If this assault continues, the shine will be lost forever," a worried Sharma said on Monday. "When tourist entry (to the Taj Mahal) can be regulated by the Supreme Court on five days of the month around the full moon nights, why can't it be done on regular days?" Only 400 tourists are allowed each night for five days when night viewing is allowed here.
As of now, though, any number of people can enter the monument at any point of time. Many times, during peak seasons and several other occasions, the number of tourists inside the complex crosses 60,000 to 70,000. This could prove dangerously harmful.
Ram Nath, a noted historian and a leading authority on the Taj, said, "There has been an alarming increase in the human load on the fragile monument. Officially, there are around 70 lakh visitors based on ticket sales, but if you include number of children up to 15 years who are given free entry, besides officials and other such people, a total of one crore people visit the monument. This is too much for a 360-year-old structure, which was never meant to carry such a huge burden. If action is not taken, it might sink in the coming years."
Nath further added that the red sandstone pathway on which people walk are being frequently changed due to wear and tear. "They (the red stone path) were never changed for the first 250 years, but these days they are being replaced every now and then. The marble stairs leading to the mausoleum have already been covered by wood as they are completely eroded. The entire ambience of the Taj is in jeopardy." Nath has recently written to the Union ministry of culture and tourism drawing its attention to the "increasing human load" on the Taj.
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(Tourists stand in front of the Taj Mahal: File photo)During the weekend, when long serpentine queues gathered at all the three gates of the Taj Mahal and people were seen waiting for more than an hour to gain entry to the mausoleum, there was very few CISF personnel to frisk the tourists and scan their belongings. It soon had become a veritable free for all.
There were no guards or security personnel to guide the visitors either, due to which the crowd spilled in every possible direction inside the complex. From the main gateway of the Taj to the mausoleum, there were just a sprinkling of ASI attendants and CISF personnel and most of time they remained mute spectators looking helplessly at the surging crowds.
The scenario at the main structure was no different and hundreds of people were sitting on the floor surrounding it in violation of rules and regulations. Chaos prevailed inside the mausoleum where the shrines of Shah Jahan and his wife Mumtaz are kept.
Moreover, the ASI has not been able to implement its ban on photography inside the structure. Hundreds of visitors could be seen on both Saturday and Sunday clicking pictures of the interiors of the monument with their cameras and mobile phones. And this throughout the day. Visitors hardly paid any attention to the several notices and signages requesting them not to.
The reason for a ban on photography inside the main structure is the harm that can be caused to the marble walls due to photochemical reactions from the light emitted by flashes in both cameras and phones
Then, acute staff crunch in the ASI is another major hurdle in the maintenance of the Taj Mahal. "There is need for at least 60-70 attendants in the Taj Mahal alone, but at most 35 are deployed," sources said.
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ASI officials said they are now "seriously" mulling on a limit to the number of tourists who can visit the Taj Mahal on any given day. With online ticketing becoming operational by this year's end, officials said a provision will also be made to issue a limited number of tickets per day. The Union ministry of culture and tourism has already given its nod to start e-ticketing at the Taj Mahal by next year March-end.
Shravan Kumar, an Agra-based environmentalist, said, "There is a conflict of interest between conservationists and the tourism lobby. The latter wants more tourists to come to Agra, but that should not be done at the cost of losing the Taj Mahal. After all, it is this monument which is giving the revenue.": India's best loved, much visited and most famous -- by far -- monument is in some real and present danger.
On Diwali weekend, there were a staggering and unbelievable 1.5 lakh people inside the Taj Mahal, and doing pretty much what they pleased. While many were merrily clicking pictures in the mausoleum (a strict no), others were running their sweaty palms down Shah Jahan's labour of love (another big no).
And as shoe covers had run out of stock (as usual), innumerable tourists were seen stomping around in their shoes, turning the lone policeman's duty there into a nightmare. Experts now believe that if this kind of unregulated and undisciplined traffic goes on, the damage to India's biggest tourist attraction will be irreversible.
The extended Diwali weekend starting Thursday was said to be the reason for this record sale of tickets at the Taj. This chaotic situation was, however, not really unprecedented. It's quite often of late that thousands of visitors, many of them unruly, have converged at the 360-year-old tomb and Unesco world heritage site.
According to Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) data, a total of 44,458 tickets were sold on Saturday, while this figure stood at 41,893 on Sunday, adding to around 86,351 tourists. But what this figure hides is the fact that tickets are not charged for children up to 15 years of age and they make up a large portion of visitors. Plus, massive number of government officials do not pay up, and then there are scores of photographers and local residents always milling around. One can easily add another 70,000 or so to the over 80,000 who bought tickets, said Surendra Sharma, president of the Braj Mandal Heritage Conservation Society, a fact that ASI officials, too, attest.
"The seventh wonder of the world is losing its sheen with thousands of people rubbing their palms at every possible space. If this assault continues, the shine will be lost forever," a worried Sharma said on Monday. "When tourist entry (to the Taj Mahal) can be regulated by the Supreme Court on five days of the month around the full moon nights, why can't it be done on regular days?" Only 400 tourists are allowed each night for five days when night viewing is allowed here.
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As of now, though, any number of people can enter the monument at any point of time. Many times, during peak seasons and several other occasions, the number of tourists inside the complex crosses 60,000 to 70,000. This could prove dangerously harmful.
Ram Nath, a noted historian and a leading authority on the Taj, said, "There has been an alarming increase in the human load on the fragile monument. Officially, there are around 70 lakh visitors based on ticket sales, but if you include number of children up to 15 years who are given free entry, besides officials and other such people, a total of one crore people visit the monument. This is too much for a 360-year-old structure, which was never meant to carry such a huge burden. If action is not taken, it might sink in the coming years."
Nath further added that the red sandstone pathway on which people walk are being frequently changed due to wear and tear. "They (the red stone path) were never changed for the first 250 years, but these days they are being replaced every now and then. The marble stairs leading to the mausoleum have already been covered by wood as they are completely eroded. The entire ambience of the Taj is in jeopardy." Nath has recently written to the Union ministry of culture and tourism drawing its attention to the "increasing human load" on the Taj.
During the weekend, when long serpentine queues gathered at all the three gates of the Taj Mahal and people were seen waiting for more than an hour to gain entry to the mausoleum, there was very few CISF personnel to frisk the tourists and scan their belongings. It soon had become a veritable free for all.
There were no guards or security personnel to guide the visitors either, due to which the crowd spilled in every possible direction inside the complex. From the main gateway of the Taj to the mausoleum, there were just a sprinkling of ASI attendants and CISF personnel and most of time they remained mute spectators looking helplessly at the surging crowds.
The scenario at the main structure was no different and hundreds of people were sitting on the floor surrounding it in violation of rules and regulations. Chaos prevailed inside the mausoleum where the shrines of Shah Jahan and his wife Mumtaz are kept.
Moreover, the ASI has not been able to implement its ban on photography inside the structure. Hundreds of visitors could be seen on both Saturday and Sunday clicking pictures of the interiors of the monument with their cameras and mobile phones. And this throughout the day. Visitors hardly paid any attention to the several notices and signages requesting them not to.
The reason for a ban on photography inside the main structure is the harm that can be caused to the marble walls due to photochemical reactions from the light emitted by flashes in both cameras and phones
Then, acute staff crunch in the ASI is another major hurdle in the maintenance of the Taj Mahal. "There is need for at least 60-70 attendants in the Taj Mahal alone, but at most 35 are deployed," sources said.
ASI officials said they are now "seriously" mulling on a limit to the number of tourists who can visit the Taj Mahal on any given day. With online ticketing becoming operational by this year's end, officials said a provision will also be made to issue a limited number of tickets per day. The Union ministry of culture and tourism has already given its nod to start e-ticketing at the Taj Mahal by next year March-end.
Shravan Kumar, an Agra-based environmentalist, said, "There is a conflict of interest between conservationists and the tourism lobby. The latter wants more tourists to come to Agra, but that should not be done at the cost of losing the Taj Mahal. After all, it is this monument which is giving the revenue."
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