Some Indians disown the Taj Mahal
The UP government has reduced the funds provided for the upkeep of the Taj
Dr. Syed Amir
January 1, 2018
The Taj Mahal, an enduring testament to Shah Jahan’s everlasting love for his wife Mumtaz Mahal, is visited by an estimated 3.5 million people every year and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. Designated by UNESCO in 1983 as a world heritage site, it generates a huge amount of foreign exchange for India.
During the nearly four centuries of its existence, it has made a powerful impression on visitors. The 17th century French traveller, Francois Bernier, who visited India in (1658-1668) during Aurangzeb’s reign, was enthralled by the Mughal masterpiece. After visiting the sparkling marble mausoleum, he noted in his memoir, Travels in the Mogul Empire, “I decidedly think that this monument deserves much more to be numbered among the wonders of the world than (the) pyramids of Egypt, those unshapen masses which when I had seen them twice yielded me no satisfaction.†Although the comparison of the two monuments, showcasing different facets of human craftmanship, may be unfair, his enthusiasm for the Taj is, nevertheless, unmistakable.
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