Presentation Ms. Damayanti Datta, Executive Editor of India Today on the Taj Mahal for Classes 4 and 5
9th August, 2018

The Taj Mahal was comissioned by Shah Jahan in 1631 in the memory of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal who died during childbirth. It was built over twenty years with the help of 20,000 workers and 1000 elephants and is built with translucent marble. The Taj is a symbol of undying love and devotion and is India's only Wonder of the World. It is also the most photographed and most discussed monument in the world.

But Taj, as of now has lost all its breathtaking beauty and is decaying slowly. In the 1970's when Mathura Oil Refinery was constructed, it produced sulphur acid which reacted with rain to form acid rain, thus ruining the marble on the Taj. Also because the monument is on the banks of River Yamuna, all the toxic waste and garbage thrown in the river has added to the problems of the Taj. The wood columns made of sal, teak and ebony wood that support the foundation of the monument are also in danger of rusting and cracking causing the Taj to cave in. Adding to this, the pollution from the burning on the ghats and the illegal sand mining are creating pits in the riverbed.

Despite so many years of neglect, we should now try our best to save the Taj and come up with solutions to not lose India's only Wonder of the World.

Naina Goculdas V- A