A thunderstorm swept Agra on May 29, killing three people, several animals and damaging many houses. The district administration announced ex gratia of ₹4 lakh for the kin of the deceased. Apart from the devastating human loss, heavy thunderstorm damaged the marble and red stone railings of the iconic Taj Mahal. An iron scaffolding fell on the railings behind the Taj Mahal’s main mausoleum on the side of the Yamuna river. Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) reveals that ₹20 lakh is required to repair the damages.
Thunderstorm Damages Marble And Red Stone Railings Of Taj Mahal
ASI officials state to TOI that the scaffoldings were placed for cleaning the dome. But work couldn’t proceed due to the lockdown. The scrapping of iron pipes which fell from a height because of the thunderstorm caused damage to the 9 feet marble and 6 feet of two panels of red sandstone railings of the Taj Mahal.
Basant Kumar Swarnkar, ASI Superintendent Archaeologist reveals to Livemint, the heavy rains toppled trees in the Taj Mahal complex and damaged the monument’s marble railing. He informs to media houses that the ticket area, western gate and frisking gate of Taj Mahal are damaged. Around ten trees on Taj Mahal premises are uprooted. He also states that part of the marble railing at the back of the main mausoleum towards Yamuna River fell. Two panels of red sandstone railings also suffered damage.
Also Read: Taj Mahal, First Indian Monument To Provide Breast Feeding Room
Estimated Amount Of ₹20 lakh For Taj Mahal Repairs
According to an ASI official, the wooden main gate of Taj Mahal’s west side entry is tilted a bit due to the heavy thunderstorm. The thrust of high-speed wind assessed at 124 km per hour caused this damage. The strong wind also caused destruction to the turnstile gate and uprooted the false ceiling. The official added to TOI that the strong winds also uprooted the door frame metal detectors (DMFD) at the entry gate of the west gate. Did You Know That The Taj Mahal Is The World’s Most Googled Monument?
