<p>India's most famous monument, the white marble Taj Mahal, is "dying" -- according to historians and local guides who are calling for the government to protect and carry out preservation work on the palace.</p>

<p>Pollution in Agra, which has risen sharply over the past 30 years, has been blamed. The city, which sits on an industrial belt, is ranked eighth in the world for the most polluted air, according to a World Health Organisation list earlier this year.</p>

<p>The iconic 17th-century Mughal palace, built by emperor Shah Jahaan in memory of his beloved queen Mumtaj Mahal, is visited by millions every year, including royalty and film stars. But local guides say foreign tourists are dwindling because of the pollution that is lending a yellowish tinge to the walls of the Taj Mahal.</p>

<p>Experts say one of the main causes of increasing pollution and discolouring of Taj Mahal is the drying up of the river Yamuna that flanks the famed marble monument. The pollution from the sewage in the Yamuna has fuelled a growing number of insects, whose excretions, along with the air's impurities have stained the Taj Mahal an ugly yellow.</p>

<p>Exhaust from a large number of vehicles clogging the roads is also making matters worse.</p>

<p>But there is hope yet -- M.C. Mehta, a leading environmental lawyer who has been fighting legal battles to conserve the Taj Mahal for over three decades now, got the top court's support recently. It directed the government to take urgent steps to restore the monument to its original glory and said if authorities did not have the expertise to do so, they should seek foreign help.</p>

<p>Mehta has had previous success. In the 1990s, following Mehta's petition, the Supreme Court ordered the closure of hundreds of factories near the white mausoleum.</p>

<p>For now, restorers from the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) have been using a paste made of a clay mineral, to clean the marble but critics say it has not been effective in preventing the marble from decaying.</p>


Agra, which sits on an industrial belt, is ranked eighth in the world for the most polluted air

India's most famous monument, the white marble Taj Mahal, is "dying" -- according to historians and local guides who are calling for the government to protect and carry out preservation work on the palace. Pollution in Agra, which has risen sharply over the past 30 years, has been blamed. The city, which sits on an industrial belt, is ranked eighth in the world for the most polluted air, according to a World Health Organisation list earlier this year. The iconic 17th-century Mughal palace, built by emperor Shah Jahaan in memory of his beloved queen Mumtaj Mahal, is visited by millions every year, including royalty and film stars. But local guides say foreign tourists are dwindling because of the pollution that is lending a yellowish tinge to the walls of the Taj Mahal. Experts say one of the main causes of increasing pollution and discolouring of Taj Mahal is the drying up of the river Yamuna that flanks the famed marble monument. The pollution from the sewage in the Yamuna has fuelled a growing number of insects, whose excretions, along with the air's impurities have stained the Taj Mahal an ugly yellow. Exhaust from a large number of vehicles clogging the roads is also making matters worse. But there is hope yet -- M.C. Mehta, a leading environmental lawyer who has been fighting legal battles to conserve the Taj Mahal for over three decades now, got the top court's support recently. It directed the government to take urgent steps to restore the monument to its original glory and said if authorities did not have the expertise to do so, they should seek foreign help. Mehta has had previous success. In the 1990s, following Mehta's petition, the Supreme Court ordered the closure of hundreds of factories near the white mausoleum. For now, restorers from the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) have been using a paste made of a clay mineral, to clean the marble but critics say it has not been effective in preventing the marble from decaying.

Pollution is 'killing' Taj Mahal: Report

<p>The storm in Uttar Pradesh's Agra city has caused extensive damage to the iconic Taj Mahal.&nbsp</p>

<p>The picture of the broken window of the monument's main minaret went viral causing a stir.</p>

<p>While several trees in the mausoleum were uprooted, two wooden doors of the Taj minarets have also been damaged.&nbsp</p>

<p>The neighbouring Fatehpur Sikri has also been affected by the storm.</p>

<p>The storm on Wednesday night wreaked havoc on the Fatehpur Sikri memorial.</p>

<p>The pinnacle on the Fatehpur Sikri was twisted. The damage inside the monument was even more.</p>

<p>Agra was put on a 72-hour alert by the weather office yesterday.</p>

<p>The alert comes after a dust storm swept through north India in states like Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh killing at least 106 people.&nbsp</p>

<p>The 132-kmph dust storm hit Agra on late Wednesday night followed by heavy showers and hailstorm. As many as 44 people have been reported dead in the city while property worth crores have been destroyed.</p>

<p>Officials suggest the number of casualties to rise further.</p>

<p><br />
&nbsp</p>


The picture of the broken window of the monument's main minaret went viral causing a stir

The storm in Uttar Pradesh's Agra city has caused extensive damage to the iconic Taj Mahal. The picture of the broken window of the monument's main minaret went viral causing a stir. While several trees in the mausoleum were uprooted, two wooden doors of the Taj minarets have also been damaged. The neighbouring Fatehpur Sikri has also been affected by the storm. The storm on Wednesday night wreaked havoc on the Fatehpur Sikri memorial. The pinnacle on the Fatehpur Sikri was twisted. The damage inside the monument was even more. Agra was put on a 72-hour alert by the weather office yesterday. The alert comes after a dust storm swept through north India in states like Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh killing at least 106 people. The 132-kmph dust storm hit Agra on late Wednesday night followed by heavy showers and hailstorm. As many as 44 people have been reported dead in the city while property worth crores have been destroyed. Officials suggest the number of casualties to rise further.

Taj Mahal suffers extensive damage in Uttar Pradesh duststorm

<p>The Supreme Court on Tuesday expressed concern over the change of colour of the iconic Taj Mahal at Agra and said the monument had become yellowish earlier and was now turning brownish and greenish.</p>

<p>The apex court suggested that the Centre take the assistance of experts from India and abroad to first assess the damage and then take steps to restore the historic monument.</p>

<p>"We don't know whether you have or perhaps don't have the expertise. Even if you have the expertise, you are not utilising it. Or perhaps you don't care," a bench comprising Justices M B Lokur and Deepak Gupta said.</p>

<p>"Perhaps we need some expert organisation from outside India unless there is a decision that the Taj has to go," the bench said sarcastically, adding, "you can get experts from India as well as from outside."</p>

<p>The apex court perused the photographs placed before it by petitioner MC Mehta and asked Additional Solicitor General A N S Nadkarni, who was representing the government, as to why the colour of Taj Mahal has changed.</p>

<p>"First it was yellow and now it is becoming brown and green," the bench observed.</p>

<p>Nadkarni told the bench that the management of Taj Mahal has to be done by the Archaeological Survey of India.</p>

<p>The apex court fixed the matter for further hearing on May 9.</p>

<p>Environmentalist Mehta has filed the plea seeking protection of the Taj from the ill-effects of polluting gases and deforestation in and around the area.</p>

<p>The top court has been monitoring developments in the area to protect the historic monument, built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in the memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal in 1631. The mausoleum is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.&nbsp;</p>


The apex court suggested that the Centre take the assistance of experts from India and abroad to first assess the damage and then take steps to restore the historic monument

The Supreme Court on Tuesday expressed concern over the change of colour of the iconic Taj Mahal at Agra and said the monument had become yellowish earlier and was now turning brownish and greenish. The apex court suggested that the Centre take the assistance of experts from India and abroad to first assess the damage and then take steps to restore the historic monument. "We don't know whether you have or perhaps don't have the expertise. Even if you have the expertise, you are not utilising it. Or perhaps you don't care," a bench comprising Justices M B Lokur and Deepak Gupta said. "Perhaps we need some expert organisation from outside India unless there is a decision that the Taj has to go," the bench said sarcastically, adding, "you can get experts from India as well as from outside." The apex court perused the photographs placed before it by petitioner MC Mehta and asked Additional Solicitor General A N S Nadkarni, who was representing the government, as to why the colour of Taj Mahal has changed. "First it was yellow and now it is becoming brown and green," the bench observed. Nadkarni told the bench that the management of Taj Mahal has to be done by the Archaeological Survey of India. The apex court fixed the matter for further hearing on May 9. Environmentalist Mehta has filed the plea seeking protection of the Taj from the ill-effects of polluting gases and deforestation in and around the area. The top court has been monitoring developments in the area to protect the historic monument, built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in the memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal in 1631. The mausoleum is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

First yellow... now brown and green: Supreme Court expresses concern over change in Taj Mahal's colour

<p>As the heavy rains continue to lash in parts of North India, stone minarets and south and royal gates of the Taj Mahal were damaged.</p>

<p>No casualty has been reported yet.</p>

<p>The incident occurred on Wednesday evening at around 7:30 pm.</p>

<p>The royal gate a part of the main gate of Taj Mahal where tourists get the first view of the monument. Also knows as Darwaza-e-rauza was blown away by heavy winds.</p>

<p>In 2016 as well, one of the minarets were damaged, Reports suggested the damage might have caused by cleaning work.</p>

<p>However, later Archaeological Survey of India blamed monkey for the weakening of the structure.</p>

<p>Built in 1631 by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, Taj Mahal is losing its grace through time due to several reasons such as pollution, excessive cleaning because of its close proximity to heavily polluted Yamuna&nbsp;and insects near the area which are leaving&nbsp;green and black stains on the monument.</p>

<p>In another rain-related incident, about 50 km from Agra, three children died in Mathura district on Wednesday after a tin roof of their one-room house collapsed. The incident took place when their parents, who happen to be daily wage labourers were not at home.</p>

<p>Also, crops were damaged in several areas in Nandgaon, Vrindavan, Kosi Kalan areas of Mathura district.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from ANI)</em></p>


The royal gate a part of the main gate of Taj Mahal where tourists get the first view of the monument. Also knows as Darwaza-e-rauza was blown away by heavy winds.

As the heavy rains continue to lash in parts of North India, stone minarets and south and royal gates of the Taj Mahal were damaged. No casualty has been reported yet. The incident occurred on Wednesday evening at around 7:30 pm. The royal gate a part of the main gate of Taj Mahal where tourists get the first view of the monument. Also knows as Darwaza-e-rauza was blown away by heavy winds. In 2016 as well, one of the minarets were damaged, Reports suggested the damage might have caused by cleaning work. However, later Archaeological Survey of India blamed monkey for the weakening of the structure. Built in 1631 by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, Taj Mahal is losing its grace through time due to several reasons such as pollution, excessive cleaning because of its close proximity to heavily polluted Yamuna and insects near the area which are leaving green and black stains on the monument. In another rain-related incident, about 50 km from Agra, three children died in Mathura district on Wednesday after a tin roof of their one-room house collapsed. The incident took place when their parents, who happen to be daily wage labourers were not at home. Also, crops were damaged in several areas in Nandgaon, Vrindavan, Kosi Kalan areas of Mathura district. (With inputs from ANI)

Uttar Pradesh: Royal gate of Taj Mahal collapses due to heavy rains

<p>The Uttar Pradesh Sunni Waqf Board has been asked by the Supreme Court to show documents signed by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan to prove its claim that it owns the iconic Taj Mahal.</p>

<p>A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra asked the counsel of the board to show it documents to substantiate that Shah Jahan, who had built the Taj Mahal in the memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal in 1631, had executed a 'waqfnama' in favour of the board.</p>

<p>Waqfnama is a deed or a document through which a person expresses intention to donate a property or land for charitable purposes or waqf.</p>

<p>"Who in India will believe that it (Taj) belongs to the waqf board," asked the bench, which also comprised Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, and added that such issues must not waste the time of the apex court.</p>

<p>When the waqf board counsel told the court that Shah Jahan had himself declared it a Waqf property, the bench asked the board to show it the original deed executed by the Mughal emperor.</p>

<p>"Show us the signature", the CJI told the counsel, who then sought more time to produce relevant documents.</p>

<p>The court was hearing a 2010 appeal filed by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) over the ownership of the historic monument against the waqf board's decision to declare the Taj Mahal as its property.</p>

<p>The bench also asked the counsel how Shah Jahan could sign a document when he was imprisoned by his son Aurangzeb at the Agra Fort in 1658 after a bitter war of succession. Shah Jahan died in 1666 (rpt 1666) in the fort itself.</p>

<p>It told the counsel that the 17th century monument and other heritage structures, built by the Mughals, were taken over by the British after the Mughal rule. After India's independence, the monuments came under the Government of India and were being managed by the ASI.</p>

<p>The ASI counsel also maintained that there was no waqfnama.</p>

<p>The court posted the matter for further hearing on April 17.</p>

<p>Another bench of the apex court is also seized of a matter related to Taj Mahal in which the petitioner has sought directions to protect the structure from the ill-effects of polluting gases and deforestation in and around the area.</p>

<p>The top court has been monitoring the development in the area to protect the Taj Mahal, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.</p>


Waqfnama is a deed or a document through which a person expresses intention to donate a property or land for charitable purposes or waqf.

The Uttar Pradesh Sunni Waqf Board has been asked by the Supreme Court to show documents signed by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan to prove its claim that it owns the iconic Taj Mahal. A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra asked the counsel of the board to show it documents to substantiate that Shah Jahan, who had built the Taj Mahal in the memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal in 1631, had executed a 'waqfnama' in favour of the board. Waqfnama is a deed or a document through which a person expresses intention to donate a property or land for charitable purposes or waqf. "Who in India will believe that it (Taj) belongs to the waqf board," asked the bench, which also comprised Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, and added that such issues must not waste the time of the apex court. When the waqf board counsel told the court that Shah Jahan had himself declared it a Waqf property, the bench asked the board to show it the original deed executed by the Mughal emperor. "Show us the signature", the CJI told the counsel, who then sought more time to produce relevant documents. The court was hearing a 2010 appeal filed by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) over the ownership of the historic monument against the waqf board's decision to declare the Taj Mahal as its property. The bench also asked the counsel how Shah Jahan could sign a document when he was imprisoned by his son Aurangzeb at the Agra Fort in 1658 after a bitter war of succession. Shah Jahan died in 1666 (rpt 1666) in the fort itself. It told the counsel that the 17th century monument and other heritage structures, built by the Mughals, were taken over by the British after the Mughal rule. After India's independence, the monuments came under the Government of India and were being managed by the ASI. The ASI counsel also maintained that there was no waqfnama. The court posted the matter for further hearing on April 17. Another bench of the apex court is also seized of a matter related to Taj Mahal in which the petitioner has sought directions to protect the structure from the ill-effects of polluting gases and deforestation in and around the area. The top court has been monitoring the development in the area to protect the Taj Mahal, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

SC asks Waqf board to show signed documents of Shah Jahan on Taj Mahal

<p>The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) will permit visitors to spend only three hours at the Taj Mahal, to ease rush and control pollution.</p>

<p>According to a notice issued by the ASI, the new system will become operational from Sunday (April 1).</p>

<p>At present, visitors can spend any amount of time till the monument is closed every evening.</p>

<p>Alarmed by the recent reports of "human pollution", several experts had suggested that the time restriction on tickets should be imposed at the Mughal-era monument, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.</p>

<p>On weekends and holidays, the mausoleum is visited by more than 50,000 people. The number of children visiting the site is not recorded, as entry is free for those under 15 years.</p>

<p>ASI officials said the new system will take a few days to streamline and more staffer will be deployed for checking tickets for time restriction. Those spending extra time at the site will have to pay extra amount, they said.</p>


Alarmed by the recent reports of "human pollution", several experts had suggested that the time restriction on tickets should be imposed

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) will permit visitors to spend only three hours at the Taj Mahal, to ease rush and control pollution. According to a notice issued by the ASI, the new system will become operational from Sunday (April 1). At present, visitors can spend any amount of time till the monument is closed every evening. Alarmed by the recent reports of "human pollution", several experts had suggested that the time restriction on tickets should be imposed at the Mughal-era monument, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. On weekends and holidays, the mausoleum is visited by more than 50,000 people. The number of children visiting the site is not recorded, as entry is free for those under 15 years. ASI officials said the new system will take a few days to streamline and more staffer will be deployed for checking tickets for time restriction. Those spending extra time at the site will have to pay extra amount, they said.

From April 1, you can spend only 3 hours at Taj Mahal

<p>French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday hailed the &#39;historic relationship&#39; between India and France.&nbsp; &nbsp;</p>

<p>Macron, who is currently on four-day India tour from March 9 to March 12, was given a ceremonial reception at Rashtrapati Bhawan on Saturday morning as he met president Ram Nath Kovind.</p>

<p>&#39;&#39;I think we have very good chemistry, our two great democracies have a historic relationship&#39;&#39; said Macron after the reception.</p>

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron will hold delegation-level talks in the Delhi on Sunday.</p>

<p>Besides reviewing progress in bilateral relations, both the leaders will hold a discussion on topics related to enhancement and cooperation in defence, maritime, security and energy-related sectors.</p>

<p>Several agreements are also expected to be signed on areas related to terrorism, climate change, sustainable growth and development, infrastructure, smart urbanization, science and technology cooperation.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I think we have very good chemistry, our two great democracies have a historic relationship: French President <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EmmanuelMacron?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EmmanuelMacron</a> <a href="https://t.co/YWQNid1clm">pic.twitter.com/YWQNid1clm</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/972318959923007489?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>Macron also paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi in Rajghat along with his wife Brigitte Macron.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Delhi: French President <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EmmanuelMacron?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EmmanuelMacron</a> and wife Brigitte Macron pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat <a href="https://t.co/GQhc1CEG6z">pic.twitter.com/GQhc1CEG6z</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/972324767545155584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>The India-France CEO&#39;s Forum will also take place during the visit.</p>

<p>Macron and Modi will also co-chair the International Solar Alliance (ISA) summit on Sunday.</p>

<p>He is also expected to visit Taj Mahal before heading for Varanasi accompanied by Modi on Monday.</p>

<p>Macron last visited India in 2016 when he was invited to be the chief guest of Republic Day celebrations.</p>

<p>He also met Indian External Affairs Minister&nbsp;Sushma Swaraj earlier today.&nbsp;</p>


Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron will hold delegation level talks in the Delhi on Sunday

French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday hailed the 'historic relationship' between India and France. Macron, who is currently on four-day India tour from March 9 to March 12, was given a ceremonial reception at Rashtrapati Bhawan on Saturday morning as he met president Ram Nath Kovind. ''I think we have very good chemistry, our two great democracies have a historic relationship'' said Macron after the reception. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron will hold delegation-level talks in the Delhi on Sunday. Besides reviewing progress in bilateral relations, both the leaders will hold a discussion on topics related to enhancement and cooperation in defence, maritime, security and energy-related sectors. Several agreements are also expected to be signed on areas related to terrorism, climate change, sustainable growth and development, infrastructure, smart urbanization, science and technology cooperation. I think we have very good chemistry, our two great democracies have a historic relationship: French President #EmmanuelMacron pic.twitter.com/YWQNid1clm — ANI (@ANI) March 10, 2018 × Macron also paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi in Rajghat along with his wife Brigitte Macron. Delhi: French President #EmmanuelMacron and wife Brigitte Macron pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat pic.twitter.com/GQhc1CEG6z — ANI (@ANI) March 10, 2018 × The India-France CEO's Forum will also take place during the visit. Macron and Modi will also co-chair the International Solar Alliance (ISA) summit on Sunday. He is also expected to visit Taj Mahal before heading for Varanasi accompanied by Modi on Monday. Macron last visited India in 2016 when he was invited to be the chief guest of Republic Day celebrations. He also met Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj earlier today.

Emmanuel Macron hails 'historic relationship' between India and France

<p>French President France Emmanuel Macron to&nbsp;arrive in New Delhi on Friday on a four-day state visit.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/macron-heads-to-india-seeking-to-avoid-trudeau-errors-35033">Macron heads to India, seeking to avoid Trudeau errors</a></p>

<p>Travelling with his wife Brigitte and delegation of businessmen and ministry officials, Macron will tour India from March 9 to March 12</p>

<p>Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement that &quot;the visit of President Macron is aimed at strengthening the bilateral economic, political and strategic dimension of our engagement&quot;.</p>

<p>Macron will also hold bilateral talks with Narendra Modi on Saturday in order to enhance and cooperate defence. maritime, security and energy-related sectors.</p>

<p>The&nbsp;issues like terrorism, climate change, sustainable growth and development, infrastructure, smart urbanization, science and technology cooperation will take centre stage during the discussions.</p>

<p>Macron will also chair the International Solar Alliance (ISA) summit on Sunday.</p>

<p>Macron is also expected to make a visit to Taj Mahal and on Monday he will be heading to Varanasi with Narendra Modi.</p>

<p>Macron last visited India in 2016 when he was invited to be the chief guest of Republic Day celebrations.<br />
&nbsp;</p>


Travelling with his wife Brigitte and delegation of businessmen and ministry officials, Macron will stay in India from March 9 to March 12

French President France Emmanuel Macron to arrive in New Delhi on Friday on a four-day state visit. Also read: Macron heads to India, seeking to avoid Trudeau errors Travelling with his wife Brigitte and delegation of businessmen and ministry officials, Macron will tour India from March 9 to March 12 Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement that "the visit of President Macron is aimed at strengthening the bilateral economic, political and strategic dimension of our engagement". Macron will also hold bilateral talks with Narendra Modi on Saturday in order to enhance and cooperate defence. maritime, security and energy-related sectors. The issues like terrorism, climate change, sustainable growth and development, infrastructure, smart urbanization, science and technology cooperation will take centre stage during the discussions. Macron will also chair the International Solar Alliance (ISA) summit on Sunday. Macron is also expected to make a visit to Taj Mahal and on Monday he will be heading to Varanasi with Narendra Modi. Macron last visited India in 2016 when he was invited to be the chief guest of Republic Day celebrations.

French President Emmanuel Macron to arrive in Delhi today on four-day visit

<p>Tourists can now avoid long queues while visiting the Taj Mahal with the government deciding to open the ticket window 45 minutes before sunrise to enable them to get tickets well before the gates to the monument open, Parliament was informed Monday.</p>

<p>Minister of State for Culture Mahesh Sharma told Lok Sabha that while the opening and closing time of the Taj Mahal has not been altered, the ticket window will open earlier to facilitate movement of visitors inside.</p>

<p>&quot;The ticket window would open 45 minutes before sunrise and close 30 minutes before sunset to facilitate the entry of visitors of Taj Mahal,&quot; Sharma said.</p>

<p>As of the instructions issued on January 25, 2018, by the Archaeological Survey of India, the gates through which tourists enter the Taj Mahal open 30 minutes before sunrise and closes 30 minutes before sunset, he said.</p>

<p>The Mughal-era monument remains closed for visitors on Fridays.</p>

<p>Earlier both the gates and the ticket windows used to open between sunrise and sunset.</p>

<p>Recently, the government has not only fixed a time span of three hours for tourists to be allowed inside Taj Mahal but also hiked the entry fee to Rs 50 from Rs 40.</p>

<p>It has also introduced an additional fee of Rs 200 for visiting the main mausoleum from April 1.</p>

<p>High-Value Tickets for tourists visiting the Mughal heritage site have also been hiked -- for foreign visitors, the ticket would cost Rs 1,250 and for domestic visitors it would be Rs 400.</p>

<p>As of now, there is no restriction on the number of people entering the iconic monument complex at any point of time. The average footfall at the monument has increased at a rate of 10-15 per cent per annum.</p>

<p>Many times, during peak tourist season and other occasions, the number of tourists inside the complex crosses 60,000 to 70,000 per day.&nbsp;</p>


Minister of State for Culture Mahesh Sharma told Lok Sabha that while the opening and closing time of the Taj Mahal has not been altered, the ticket window will open earlier to facilitate movement of visitors inside

Tourists can now avoid long queues while visiting the Taj Mahal with the government deciding to open the ticket window 45 minutes before sunrise to enable them to get tickets well before the gates to the monument open, Parliament was informed Monday. Minister of State for Culture Mahesh Sharma told Lok Sabha that while the opening and closing time of the Taj Mahal has not been altered, the ticket window will open earlier to facilitate movement of visitors inside. "The ticket window would open 45 minutes before sunrise and close 30 minutes before sunset to facilitate the entry of visitors of Taj Mahal," Sharma said. As of the instructions issued on January 25, 2018, by the Archaeological Survey of India, the gates through which tourists enter the Taj Mahal open 30 minutes before sunrise and closes 30 minutes before sunset, he said. The Mughal-era monument remains closed for visitors on Fridays. Earlier both the gates and the ticket windows used to open between sunrise and sunset. Recently, the government has not only fixed a time span of three hours for tourists to be allowed inside Taj Mahal but also hiked the entry fee to Rs 50 from Rs 40. It has also introduced an additional fee of Rs 200 for visiting the main mausoleum from April 1. High-Value Tickets for tourists visiting the Mughal heritage site have also been hiked -- for foreign visitors, the ticket would cost Rs 1,250 and for domestic visitors it would be Rs 400. As of now, there is no restriction on the number of people entering the iconic monument complex at any point of time. The average footfall at the monument has increased at a rate of 10-15 per cent per annum. Many times, during peak tourist season and other occasions, the number of tourists inside the complex crosses 60,000 to 70,000 per day.

Now, buy Taj Mahal entry tickets 30 min before sunrise: Mahesh Sharma

<p>Indian government and various NGO&rsquo;s have been playing their bit by taking rigorous initiatives like &lsquo;Swachh Bharat Abhiyan&rdquo;, in order to keep the environment clean and healthy. However, it is heart-breaking to see that Indian society is somewhat failing to understand and perform its part.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Keeping the ideology in mind that man is a sensible social being and considering Indians as moralised civilians, the government arranged shoe covers for visitors touring Taj Mahal, so that the dirt of visitors&#39; shoes could be prevented and, thus, the whiteness of the Taj could be well-maintained. Ironically, these shoe covers are littered everywhere or found wafting in the air.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
At first, one might see a poised monument of white marble, beautifully embossed with Arabic inscriptions, securing its stature in the list of seven wonders of world. But when looking around the premises, one might lower the eyes and clamp up noticing the place being littered with the piles of plastic water bottles and discarded shoe covers left behind by the people who come down to admire the monument.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Taj looks shabbier with these wandering shoe covers than it would have looked with dirt stains at first. The beauty of the place has deteriorated despite the efforts of keeping rubbish away, bringing disgrace and dishonour to our heritage eventually. Now, the question is who is to be blamed?&nbsp;<br />
<br />
A consciousness of basic hygiene, etiquettes and sensibility of our society is yet again questionable whenever I see the dirty walls in our country. Instead of tall standing walls of pride, our walls become the &lsquo;wall of shame&rsquo;. Walls have layers of paan stains and its corners are used as the local urinal. It is absurd to witness red spitting stains and red letters running in bold saying &lsquo;Fine of Rs. 200 for spitting and littering here&rsquo;.<br />
<br />
Along with the emotional toll, such discoloured walls bring the dilemma of whether to laugh at these ironic sights or get disheartened.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
These experiences bring me back to Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.&nbsp;<br />
Well, we have been talking about the many failures of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan but a deeper analysis is needed into who is to be blamed for the same.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Every individual needs to understand his responsibility of attaining and maintaining the balance in various aspects of our society whether be it health, ecology or heritage. The government of India has taken its step for the conservation of Taj, cleanliness of surrounding and in turn, the protection of its citizens. Now it&rsquo;s the responsibility of us, the Indians, to keep the surrounding clean in order to maintain the ecological balance as well as the esteem of our nation, because if one of them is destroyed, the other is affected.&nbsp;</p>

<p>(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)</p>


The beauty of Taj has deteriorated despite the efforts of keeping rubbish away, bringing disgrace and dishonour to our heritage eventually.

Indian government and various NGO’s have been playing their bit by taking rigorous initiatives like ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan”, in order to keep the environment clean and healthy. However, it is heart-breaking to see that Indian society is somewhat failing to understand and perform its part. Keeping the ideology in mind that man is a sensible social being and considering Indians as moralised civilians, the government arranged shoe covers for visitors touring Taj Mahal, so that the dirt of visitors' shoes could be prevented and, thus, the whiteness of the Taj could be well-maintained. Ironically, these shoe covers are littered everywhere or found wafting in the air. At first, one might see a poised monument of white marble, beautifully embossed with Arabic inscriptions, securing its stature in the list of seven wonders of world. But when looking around the premises, one might lower the eyes and clamp up noticing the place being littered with the piles of plastic water bottles and discarded shoe covers left behind by the people who come down to admire the monument. Taj looks shabbier with these wandering shoe covers than it would have looked with dirt stains at first. The beauty of the place has deteriorated despite the efforts of keeping rubbish away, bringing disgrace and dishonour to our heritage eventually. Now, the question is who is to be blamed? A consciousness of basic hygiene, etiquettes and sensibility of our society is yet again questionable whenever I see the dirty walls in our country. Instead of tall standing walls of pride, our walls become the ‘wall of shame’. Walls have layers of paan stains and its corners are used as the local urinal. It is absurd to witness red spitting stains and red letters running in bold saying ‘Fine of Rs. 200 for spitting and littering here’. Along with the emotional toll, such discoloured walls bring the dilemma of whether to laugh at these ironic sights or get disheartened. These experiences bring me back to Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. Well, we have been talking about the many failures of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan but a deeper analysis is needed into who is to be blamed for the same. Every individual needs to understand his responsibility of attaining and maintaining the balance in various aspects of our society whether be it health, ecology or heritage. The government of India has taken its step for the conservation of Taj, cleanliness of surrounding and in turn, the protection of its citizens. Now it’s the responsibility of us, the Indians, to keep the surrounding clean in order to maintain the ecological balance as well as the esteem of our nation, because if one of them is destroyed, the other is affected. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: How Taj Mahal is doing under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan?

<p>Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited the world-famous Taj Mahal here on Sunday.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a>: PM of Canada <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JustinTrudeau?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JustinTrudeau</a>, along with his wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau and children Xavier, Ella-Grace &amp; Hadrien at Taj Mahal in Agra. <a href="https://t.co/DqnxoTqfni">pic.twitter.com/DqnxoTqfni</a></p>
&mdash; ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/965119793861931008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>Trudeau was accompanied along with his wife Sophie Gregoire and his three children, Xavier, Ella-Grace, and Hadrien.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Canadian Prime Minister <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JustinTrudeau?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JustinTrudeau</a>, along with his wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, and kids Xavier, Ella-Grace, and Hadrien, visits Agra&#39;s Taj Mahal. <a href="https://t.co/4vUmxf1gx6">pic.twitter.com/4vUmxf1gx6</a></p>
&mdash; ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/965096215238062080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>Many foreign dignitaries have visited the Taj Mahal in the past few years.</p>

<p>The Taj Mahal, located along the Yamuna river, was built by Shah Jahan, a 17th-century Mughal ruler for his wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died while giving birth to her fourteenth child.</p>

<p>It is one of the most outstanding examples of Mughal architecture, having a combination of Indian, Persian and Islamic influences.</p>

<p>The structure of the monument is built entirely with white marble, studded with semi-precious stones and is inscribed with verses of Quran. It is surrounded by four minarets.</p>

<p>It was one of the Seven Wonders of the World and is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1983.</p>

<p>The Canadian Prime Minister, who arrived in India on Saturday, is on a week-long state visit to the country.</p>

<p>After visiting the Taj Mahal, he will proceed to Mathura, where he will visit the Wild Life Century (Elephant Conservation Center).</p>

<p>The sanctuary will remain shut for around two hours to the public, owing to Trudeau&#39;s visit.</p>

<p>The week-long state visit to India, which includes stops in Agra, Amritsar, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, and New Delhi, will provide an opportunity for Trudeau to connect with the Indian leaders in government and business, promote empowerment of women and girls, and strengthen Canada and India&#39;s close economic ties.</p>

<p>The Indian and Canadian sides will reaffirm the close friendship between the two countries and discuss ways to further deepen bilateral cooperation.</p>

<p>Trudeau will also participate in several business roundtables to promote further trade and investment between Canada and India.</p>

<p>Canada will work closely with the Indian leaders to advance their economic opportunities in both countries respectively.</p>


Many foreign dignitaries have visited the Taj Mahal in the past few years

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited the world-famous Taj Mahal here on Sunday. #WATCH: PM of Canada #JustinTrudeau, along with his wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau and children Xavier, Ella-Grace & Hadrien at Taj Mahal in Agra. pic.twitter.com/DqnxoTqfni — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 18, 2018 × Trudeau was accompanied along with his wife Sophie Gregoire and his three children, Xavier, Ella-Grace, and Hadrien. Canadian Prime Minister #JustinTrudeau, along with his wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, and kids Xavier, Ella-Grace, and Hadrien, visits Agra's Taj Mahal. pic.twitter.com/4vUmxf1gx6 — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 18, 2018 × Many foreign dignitaries have visited the Taj Mahal in the past few years. The Taj Mahal, located along the Yamuna river, was built by Shah Jahan, a 17th-century Mughal ruler for his wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died while giving birth to her fourteenth child. It is one of the most outstanding examples of Mughal architecture, having a combination of Indian, Persian and Islamic influences. The structure of the monument is built entirely with white marble, studded with semi-precious stones and is inscribed with verses of Quran. It is surrounded by four minarets. It was one of the Seven Wonders of the World and is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1983. The Canadian Prime Minister, who arrived in India on Saturday, is on a week-long state visit to the country. After visiting the Taj Mahal, he will proceed to Mathura, where he will visit the Wild Life Century (Elephant Conservation Center). The sanctuary will remain shut for around two hours to the public, owing to Trudeau's visit. The week-long state visit to India, which includes stops in Agra, Amritsar, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, and New Delhi, will provide an opportunity for Trudeau to connect with the Indian leaders in government and business, promote empowerment of women and girls, and strengthen Canada and India's close economic ties. The Indian and Canadian sides will reaffirm the close friendship between the two countries and discuss ways to further deepen bilateral cooperation. Trudeau will also participate in several business roundtables to promote further trade and investment between Canada and India. Canada will work closely with the Indian leaders to advance their economic opportunities in both countries respectively.

Watch: 'Thank you... one of the most beautiful places in the world,' says Justin Trudeau at Taj Mahal

<p>After government warning did not deter people from using machines around Taj Mahal, the Agra Police have now decided to arrest the person using drones near the historic monument.</p>

<p>The decision to crack down on drone users was taken on Sunday.</p>

<p>As per the new rule, Police have decided to invoke criminal charges that carry jail time against tourists using drones around the Taj Mahal.&nbsp;</p>

<p>According to officials, drones were seen in and around the world heritage monument nearly 20 times in 2017, but despite the provision of initiating criminal action against the users, no action has been taken by police to date.</p>

<p>The police said the use of drones was strictly prohibited in and around the Taj due to security reasons and will also start an awareness campaign to ensure people are aware of the new rule.</p>

<p>A person caught using a drone around the Taj would be booked under sections 287 (negligent conduct with respect to machinery), 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others), 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).<br />
&nbsp;</p>


The decision to crack down on drone users was taken on Sunday

After government warning did not deter people from using machines around Taj Mahal, the Agra Police have now decided to arrest the person using drones near the historic monument. The decision to crack down on drone users was taken on Sunday. As per the new rule, Police have decided to invoke criminal charges that carry jail time against tourists using drones around the Taj Mahal. According to officials, drones were seen in and around the world heritage monument nearly 20 times in 2017, but despite the provision of initiating criminal action against the users, no action has been taken by police to date. The police said the use of drones was strictly prohibited in and around the Taj due to security reasons and will also start an awareness campaign to ensure people are aware of the new rule. A person caught using a drone around the Taj would be booked under sections 287 (negligent conduct with respect to machinery), 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others), 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Flying drones near Taj Mahal will now land you in jail

<p>Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu along with his wife Sara today visited the 17th century Mughal monument Taj Mahal.</p>

<p>Netanyahu was received by UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath at the Kheria Airport.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">A lot issues especially exchange of technology in agriculture, irrigation, water &amp; waste management in urban areas &amp; other sectors were discussed: UP CM Yogi Adityanath on meeting Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu <a href="https://t.co/gA4jfRBRn5">pic.twitter.com/gA4jfRBRn5</a></p>
&mdash; ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/953264358708015105?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 16, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>He was accorded a traditional welcome by Braj folk artists on his arrival at the airport, the chief minister&#39;s office said on Twitter.</p>

<p>The dignitaries spent some time at Hotel Amar Vilas before leaving for the monument in golf carts.</p>

<p>In view of the Israeli prime minister&#39;s visit, the Taj Mahal remained closed for over two hours for tourists.</p>

<p>The route from the Kheria Airport to the Taj Mahal was sealed and extra security arrangements were made.</p>

<p>According to officials, the visiting dignitary will have lunch at Hotel Amar Vilas before leaving for New Delhi.</p>

<p>Netanyahu arrived here on Sunday on a six-day visit.</p>

<p>The Israeli prime minister is scheduled to inaugurate the third edition of the geo-political conference, &#39;Raisina Dialogue&#39;, in Delhi later today.</p>


He was accorded a traditional welcome by Braj folk artists on his arrival at the airport

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu along with his wife Sara today visited the 17th century Mughal monument Taj Mahal. Netanyahu was received by UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath at the Kheria Airport. A lot issues especially exchange of technology in agriculture, irrigation, water & waste management in urban areas & other sectors were discussed: UP CM Yogi Adityanath on meeting Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu pic.twitter.com/gA4jfRBRn5 — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) January 16, 2018 × He was accorded a traditional welcome by Braj folk artists on his arrival at the airport, the chief minister's office said on Twitter. The dignitaries spent some time at Hotel Amar Vilas before leaving for the monument in golf carts. In view of the Israeli prime minister's visit, the Taj Mahal remained closed for over two hours for tourists. The route from the Kheria Airport to the Taj Mahal was sealed and extra security arrangements were made. According to officials, the visiting dignitary will have lunch at Hotel Amar Vilas before leaving for New Delhi. Netanyahu arrived here on Sunday on a six-day visit. The Israeli prime minister is scheduled to inaugurate the third edition of the geo-political conference, 'Raisina Dialogue', in Delhi later today.

Isreali PM Netanyahu, wife visit Taj Mahal, received by Yogi Adityanath

<p>The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is likely to restrict the number of tourists visiting the Taj Mahal to 40,000 daily, and put a three-hour cap on each ticket holder to tour the 17th-century Mughal monument in a bid to preserve the heritage site, a source in the culture ministry said.</p>

<p>Culture Secretary Ravindra Singh held a high-level meeting on Tuesday with ASI officials and representatives of Agra district administration and officers of the Central Industrial Security Force, where the decision was taken.</p>

<p>Ministry officials said that the sale of tickets - both online and offline - will be stopped at the 40,000 mark.</p>

<p>As of now, there is no restriction on the number of people entering the iconic monument complex at any point of time. The average footfall at the monument has increased at a rate of 10-15 per cent per annum.</p>

<p>Many times, during peak tourist season and other occasions, the number of tourists inside the complex crosses 60,000 to 70,000 per day.</p>

<p>The ASI is also likely to introduce a system to issue &quot;zero-value&quot; tickets to children below the age of 15 years, enabling them to keep a count of the number of such visitors, whose entry will remain free.</p>

<p>The ASI had in 2012 commissioned the National Environmental Engineering and Research Institute (NEERI) to prepare a report on the monument&#39;s load-bearing capacity.</p>

<p>The decision to limit the number of visitors has been based on the final recommendation in the report submitted by NEERI, the officials said.</p>

<p>The Taj Mahal is considered one of the finest specimen of the Mughal architecture. In 1983, it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was cited as &quot;the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world&#39;s heritage.&quot;</p>


During peak tourist season, the number of tourists inside the complex crosses 60,000 to 70,000 per day.

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is likely to restrict the number of tourists visiting the Taj Mahal to 40,000 daily, and put a three-hour cap on each ticket holder to tour the 17th-century Mughal monument in a bid to preserve the heritage site, a source in the culture ministry said. Culture Secretary Ravindra Singh held a high-level meeting on Tuesday with ASI officials and representatives of Agra district administration and officers of the Central Industrial Security Force, where the decision was taken. Ministry officials said that the sale of tickets - both online and offline - will be stopped at the 40,000 mark. As of now, there is no restriction on the number of people entering the iconic monument complex at any point of time. The average footfall at the monument has increased at a rate of 10-15 per cent per annum. Many times, during peak tourist season and other occasions, the number of tourists inside the complex crosses 60,000 to 70,000 per day. The ASI is also likely to introduce a system to issue "zero-value" tickets to children below the age of 15 years, enabling them to keep a count of the number of such visitors, whose entry will remain free. The ASI had in 2012 commissioned the National Environmental Engineering and Research Institute (NEERI) to prepare a report on the monument's load-bearing capacity. The decision to limit the number of visitors has been based on the final recommendation in the report submitted by NEERI, the officials said. The Taj Mahal is considered one of the finest specimen of the Mughal architecture. In 1983, it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was cited as "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage."

Tourist entry at Taj Mahal likely to be capped at 40,000 daily

<p>On the evening of 3 December 1971, at about&nbsp;5:40 pm, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) launched surprise per-emptive strikes on eleven airfields in north-western India, including Agra, which was 300 miles (480 km) from the border. At the time of this attack, the Taj Mahal was camouflaged with a forest of twigs and leaves and draped with burlap because its marble glowed like a white beacon in the moonlight.</p>

<p>The marble&#39;s shine is less provocative these days, not because the structure decided to protest against the disparaging debate of why it could not be part of the state&#39;s tourism booklet but because it suffocates from the poor quality of&nbsp;debates on issues of air pollution. The debate is seasonal and the yearly trend is almost a decade old.</p>

<p>Even In 1942, during the World War II, Taj Mahal was covered in bamboo scaffolding as the British thought that the Taj Mahal was vulnerable to bombing by the German Luftwaffe bombers (and also the Japanese).</p>

<p>Taj Mahal, as a monument has fought against more than security threats and air pollution, its burqa is more than the coverage of twigs and bamboo. In the smog of political tussle and changing ideologies, it has on many occasion tugged to its burqa.</p>

<p>It almost tugged to its burqa when fictional novels questioned its existence and, based on sketchy facts, presented an alternate image of a temple which was converted to make place for the Taj. People agreed, not all although.</p>

<p>The Archaeological department installed a lab to check whether the city pollution and other pollutants were degrading the marble and its shine. To protect it, a mudpack solution was suggested. Wherein, the marble is polished by a certain mud. Rubbing mud and making it shiny. The deal is still on.</p>

<p>There is no research released on the gradual effect of time on the health of the Taj Mahal.</p>

<p>One of the wonders of the world, Taj Mahal often gazes at its nearest companion, the Mosque and tries to identify if anyone else is clad in similar shadow. When people walk by and look at the monument, whether the sense of belonging is national or anti-national. Whether such thoughts will make it leftist or something else.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The worlds largest democracy is trying to strengthen its defences and forces chose to look the other way as there was bounty announced on the head of the leading artist of a film named Padmavati.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Talking of safety and security, Pakistan government was ordered by a judicial review board to release Hafiz Saeed, the mastermind of 26/11. The US had announced a $10 million bounty for Saaed for his alleged role in the Mumbai terror attack.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The thunder and storm began as the air cleared a bit, the prediction says, the suffocation will subside.</p>

<p>Taj Mahal looked the other way towards Ayodhya now, its 06 Dec.</p>

<p>The burqa stays...</p>

<p><em>(Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).</em></p>


The Taj Mahal is falling victim to chronic pollution and politicisation.

On the evening of 3 December 1971, at about 5:40 pm, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) launched surprise per-emptive strikes on eleven airfields in north-western India, including Agra, which was 300 miles (480 km) from the border. At the time of this attack, the Taj Mahal was camouflaged with a forest of twigs and leaves and draped with burlap because its marble glowed like a white beacon in the moonlight. The marble's shine is less provocative these days, not because the structure decided to protest against the disparaging debate of why it could not be part of the state's tourism booklet but because it suffocates from the poor quality of debates on issues of air pollution. The debate is seasonal and the yearly trend is almost a decade old. Even In 1942, during the World War II, Taj Mahal was covered in bamboo scaffolding as the British thought that the Taj Mahal was vulnerable to bombing by the German Luftwaffe bombers (and also the Japanese). Taj Mahal, as a monument has fought against more than security threats and air pollution, its burqa is more than the coverage of twigs and bamboo. In the smog of political tussle and changing ideologies, it has on many occasion tugged to its burqa. It almost tugged to its burqa when fictional novels questioned its existence and, based on sketchy facts, presented an alternate image of a temple which was converted to make place for the Taj. People agreed, not all although. The Archaeological department installed a lab to check whether the city pollution and other pollutants were degrading the marble and its shine. To protect it, a mudpack solution was suggested. Wherein, the marble is polished by a certain mud. Rubbing mud and making it shiny. The deal is still on. There is no research released on the gradual effect of time on the health of the Taj Mahal. One of the wonders of the world, Taj Mahal often gazes at its nearest companion, the Mosque and tries to identify if anyone else is clad in similar shadow. When people walk by and look at the monument, whether the sense of belonging is national or anti-national. Whether such thoughts will make it leftist or something else. The worlds largest democracy is trying to strengthen its defences and forces chose to look the other way as there was bounty announced on the head of the leading artist of a film named Padmavati. Talking of safety and security, Pakistan government was ordered by a judicial review board to release Hafiz Saeed, the mastermind of 26/11. The US had announced a $10 million bounty for Saaed for his alleged role in the Mumbai terror attack. The thunder and storm began as the air cleared a bit, the prediction says, the suffocation will subside. Taj Mahal looked the other way towards Ayodhya now, its 06 Dec. The burqa stays... (Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

Opinion: Pollution and politics through Taj Mahal's gaze

<p>The Supreme Court today stayed its order on the demolition of a car parking currently under construction Agra&#39;s iconic Taj Mahal and said that no further construction will be carried out there.</p>

<p>The top court asked authorities to maintain status quo at the site, located at a distance of about one kilometre from the eastern gate of the 17th century monument.</p>

<p>A bench comprising Justices MB Lokur and Dipak Gupta asked additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Uttar Pradesh govenrment to file a comprehensive policy on preservation and pollution in the Taj Trapezium Zone and nearby areas.</p>

<p>The Taj Trapezium Zone is an area of 10,400 sq km around the Taj Mahal and is aimed at protecting the ancient monument.</p>

<p>The additional Solicitor General told the bench that the government was committed to protecting the Taj Mahal and he will file a comprehensive policy regarding this before the court.</p>

<p>The top court fixed the matter for further hearing on November 15.</p>

<p>On October 24, the Supreme Court had ordered the demolition of the multi-level car parking which is under construction.</p>

<p>The Supreme Court, which is dealing with a petition filed by environmentalist MC Mehta, has been monitoring development in the area to protect the Taj Mahal.</p>

<p>In his PIL, the environmentalist has sought protection of the monument made of white marble from the ill-effects of polluting gases and deforestation in and around the area.</p>

<p>The top court had earlier passed a slew of directions to protect the monument.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
The Taj Mahal was builtby Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in&nbsp;memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal in 1631.</p>

<p>The historic mausoleum is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.</p>


The top court asked the Uttar Pradesh government to file a comprehensive policy on preservation and pollution in the Taj Trapezium Zone and nearby areas

The Supreme Court today stayed its order on the demolition of a car parking currently under construction Agra's iconic Taj Mahal and said that no further construction will be carried out there. The top court asked authorities to maintain status quo at the site, located at a distance of about one kilometre from the eastern gate of the 17th century monument. A bench comprising Justices MB Lokur and Dipak Gupta asked additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Uttar Pradesh govenrment to file a comprehensive policy on preservation and pollution in the Taj Trapezium Zone and nearby areas. The Taj Trapezium Zone is an area of 10,400 sq km around the Taj Mahal and is aimed at protecting the ancient monument. The additional Solicitor General told the bench that the government was committed to protecting the Taj Mahal and he will file a comprehensive policy regarding this before the court. The top court fixed the matter for further hearing on November 15. On October 24, the Supreme Court had ordered the demolition of the multi-level car parking which is under construction. The Supreme Court, which is dealing with a petition filed by environmentalist MC Mehta, has been monitoring development in the area to protect the Taj Mahal. In his PIL, the environmentalist has sought protection of the monument made of white marble from the ill-effects of polluting gases and deforestation in and around the area. The top court had earlier passed a slew of directions to protect the monument. The Taj Mahal was builtby Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal in 1631. The historic mausoleum is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Supreme Court stays its order to demolish parking lot near Taj Mahal

<p>Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday took a jibe at Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for his visit to the famous Taj Mahal, saying it is Lord Rama&rsquo;s &#39;kamaal&#39; (wonder).</p>

<p>Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath reached Agra amid tight security today and quickly <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/watch-up-cm-adityanath-on-cleanliness-drive-at-taj-complex-22934">kicked off a cleanliness drive</a> at Shahjahan garden in the famous Taj Mahal complex.</p>

<p>&quot;See how time changes&hellip;&nbsp;BJP did not consider it as heritage&hellip;&nbsp;And now the CM is cleaning West Gate of Taj Mahal with a &#39;jhadu&#39; (broom),&quot; Yadav told reporters in Lucknow.</p>

<p>&quot;It&#39;s good that SP workers from Agra have come here, otherwise they would have used broom at West Gate of Taj. He (CM) is wielding broom there. We have nothing to do with it. It is Lord Rama&#39;s &#39;kamaal&#39;,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>I am waiting for him to get clicked on that seat (in front of Taj Mahal), the former UP chief minister added.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="videos-block">
<div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"><iframe class="embed-responsive-item" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cYACFZYDU3o"></iframe></div>
</div>

<div class="media-description">
<p>UP chief minister Adityanath went on a cleanliness drive with a broom in hand inside the Taj Mahal area at Agra. (ANI)</p>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Taj Mahal has been in the news &nbsp;after BJP MLA Sangeet Som recently said&nbsp;that the monument was a blot on Indian culture.</p>

<p>Countering Som, Adityanath said&nbsp;it does not matter who or why the Taj was built,&nbsp;the fact is it was built by the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/taj-mahal-minarets-not-representative-of-indian-culture-yogi-adityanath-16904">blood and sweat of Indian labourers</a>.</p>

<p>Adityanath&#39;s visit is seen by many as a damage control exercise after a series of controversies erupted, beginning with a UP tourism department booklet not mentioning the white marble monument in its list of development projects in the state.</p>

<p>At a rally in Bihar last year, Adityanath had said that the Taj does not represent Indian culture and that visiting foreign dignitaries should be presented with the Gita rather than replicas of Taj Mahal.</p>


Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday took a jibe at Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for his visit to the famous Taj Mahal, saying it is Lord Rama?s 'kamaal' (wonder).

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday took a jibe at Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for his visit to the famous Taj Mahal, saying it is Lord Rama’s 'kamaal' (wonder). Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath reached Agra amid tight security today and quickly kicked off a cleanliness drive at Shahjahan garden in the famous Taj Mahal complex. "See how time changes… BJP did not consider it as heritage… And now the CM is cleaning West Gate of Taj Mahal with a 'jhadu' (broom)," Yadav told reporters in Lucknow. "It's good that SP workers from Agra have come here, otherwise they would have used broom at West Gate of Taj. He (CM) is wielding broom there. We have nothing to do with it. It is Lord Rama's 'kamaal'," he said. I am waiting for him to get clicked on that seat (in front of Taj Mahal), the former UP chief minister added. UP chief minister Adityanath went on a cleanliness drive with a broom in hand inside the Taj Mahal area at Agra. (ANI) × The Taj Mahal has been in the news after BJP MLA Sangeet Som recently said that the monument was a blot on Indian culture. Countering Som, Adityanath said it does not matter who or why the Taj was built, the fact is it was built by the blood and sweat of Indian labourers. Adityanath's visit is seen by many as a damage control exercise after a series of controversies erupted, beginning with a UP tourism department booklet not mentioning the white marble monument in its list of development projects in the state. At a rally in Bihar last year, Adityanath had said that the Taj does not represent Indian culture and that visiting foreign dignitaries should be presented with the Gita rather than replicas of Taj Mahal.

'Lord Rama's kamaal': Akhilesh Yadav's jibe at Yogi Adityanath's Taj Mahal visit

<p>Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath reached Agra amid tight security today and quickly kicked off a cleanliness drive at Shahjahan garden in the famous Taj Mahal complex.</p>

<p>The UP chief minister <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/taj-mahal-minarets-not-representative-of-indian-culture-yogi-adityanath-16904">had recently said it does not matter who or why the Taj was built,</a> the fact is it was built by the blood and sweat of Indian labourers.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Taj Mahal has been in the news recently after BJP MLA Sangeet Som had&nbsp;said&nbsp;that the Taj was a blot on Indian culture.</p>

<p>In July at a BJP rally in Bihar, Adityanath had said the Taj Mahal was not comparable to the Bhagwad Gita and the Ramayan.</p>

<p>Adityanath had&nbsp;complained about the practice of gifting visiting foreign dignitaries replicas of the Taj, adding that PM Modi&#39;s&nbsp;practice of gifting the Indian scripture Bhagwad Gita and the epic Ramayan to foreign dignitaries was commendable.</p>

<p>Over 14,000 policemen have been deployed across the city as UP chief minister arrived early this morning. Adityanath is&nbsp;BJP&#39;s first UP chief minister to visit the Taj Mahal.</p>


The Taj Mahal has been in the news recently after BJP MLA Sangeet Som said "Taj was a blot on Indian culture".

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath reached Agra amid tight security today and quickly kicked off a cleanliness drive at Shahjahan garden in the famous Taj Mahal complex. The UP chief minister had recently said it does not matter who or why the Taj was built, the fact is it was built by the blood and sweat of Indian labourers. The Taj Mahal has been in the news recently after BJP MLA Sangeet Som had said that the Taj was a blot on Indian culture. In July at a BJP rally in Bihar, Adityanath had said the Taj Mahal was not comparable to the Bhagwad Gita and the Ramayan. Adityanath had complained about the practice of gifting visiting foreign dignitaries replicas of the Taj, adding that PM Modi's practice of gifting the Indian scripture Bhagwad Gita and the epic Ramayan to foreign dignitaries was commendable. Over 14,000 policemen have been deployed across the city as UP chief minister arrived early this morning. Adityanath is BJP's first UP chief minister to visit the Taj Mahal.

Watch: UP CM Adityanath on cleanliness drive at Taj complex

<p>Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will visit the Taj Mahal today against the backdrop of various controversial statements made by some BJP leaders and ministers against the 17th-century monument.</p>

<p>Over 14,000 policemen have been deployed across the city for the security of Adityanath, who arrived here early this morning.</p>

<p>Adityanath will be the first BJP CM of UP to visit the monument of love.</p>

<p>The chief minister, who landed in the city&#39;s Kheria Airport, went to Nangla Paima village and visited the rubber check dam. He also visited Kachhpura village.</p>

<p>A senior police officer told that more than 14,000 policemen have been deployed across the city for the security of the CM.</p>

<p>The monument is open for tourists and the entry will be allowed as per the routine process. The security has been stepped up, he said.</p>

<p>According to his programme, Adityanath will stay for half an hour at the graves of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal and visit the Shah Jahan park nearby.</p>

<p>The chief minister will inspect various places along the way, inside and outside the monument.</p>

<p>He will also lay the foundation&nbsp;stone for the development of a tourist pathway from the Taj Mahal to the Agra Fort.</p>

<p>He will also run a mega cleanliness campaign along with 500 BJP activists and social workers around the west gate of the Taj Mahal.</p>

<p>The chief minister has already declared that the state government will spend Rs 370 crore on development plans aimed at promoting tourism in the city of Taj.</p>

<p>Along with the visit to the Taj Mahal, Adityanath will inaugurate various development projects in Agra, according to an official spokesman.</p>

<p>&quot;During his tour of Agra.., the chief minister will be visiting all the places inside Taj Mahal,&quot; principal secretary, tourism, Awanish Awasthi said yesterday.</p>

<p>His decision to visit the Taj Mahal was announced after a series of controversies erupted, beginning with a UP tourism department booklet not mentioning the monument in its list of development projects in the state.</p>

<p>Subsequently, BJP MLA Sangeet Som called Taj Mahal a &quot;blot on Indian history&quot; and BJP MP Vinay Katiyar said it was originally a Shiva temple.</p>

<p>However, addressing a rally in Gorakhpur recently, Adityanath called Taj Mahal the &quot;pride of India&quot; and referred to it as a &quot;world class monument&quot;.</p>

<p>This was a significant departure from his remarks at a rally in Bihar last year when he had said that the Taj does not represent Indian culture and that visiting foreign dignitaries should be presented with the Gita rather than replicas of Taj Mahal.</p>

<p>The last time a UP CM visited the Taj was Akhilesh Yadav, more than two years back.</p>

<p>That was the Valentine&#39;s Day and Akhilesh sat on one of the benches in front of the monument along with his wife and Kannauj MP Dimple Yadav.&nbsp;</p>


Adityanath will be the first BJP CM of UP to visit the monument of love.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will visit the Taj Mahal today against the backdrop of various controversial statements made by some BJP leaders and ministers against the 17th-century monument. Over 14,000 policemen have been deployed across the city for the security of Adityanath, who arrived here early this morning. Adityanath will be the first BJP CM of UP to visit the monument of love. The chief minister, who landed in the city's Kheria Airport, went to Nangla Paima village and visited the rubber check dam. He also visited Kachhpura village. A senior police officer told that more than 14,000 policemen have been deployed across the city for the security of the CM. The monument is open for tourists and the entry will be allowed as per the routine process. The security has been stepped up, he said. According to his programme, Adityanath will stay for half an hour at the graves of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal and visit the Shah Jahan park nearby. The chief minister will inspect various places along the way, inside and outside the monument. He will also lay the foundation stone for the development of a tourist pathway from the Taj Mahal to the Agra Fort. He will also run a mega cleanliness campaign along with 500 BJP activists and social workers around the west gate of the Taj Mahal. The chief minister has already declared that the state government will spend Rs 370 crore on development plans aimed at promoting tourism in the city of Taj. Along with the visit to the Taj Mahal, Adityanath will inaugurate various development projects in Agra, according to an official spokesman. "During his tour of Agra.., the chief minister will be visiting all the places inside Taj Mahal," principal secretary, tourism, Awanish Awasthi said yesterday. His decision to visit the Taj Mahal was announced after a series of controversies erupted, beginning with a UP tourism department booklet not mentioning the monument in its list of development projects in the state. Subsequently, BJP MLA Sangeet Som called Taj Mahal a "blot on Indian history" and BJP MP Vinay Katiyar said it was originally a Shiva temple. However, addressing a rally in Gorakhpur recently, Adityanath called Taj Mahal the "pride of India" and referred to it as a "world class monument". This was a significant departure from his remarks at a rally in Bihar last year when he had said that the Taj does not represent Indian culture and that visiting foreign dignitaries should be presented with the Gita rather than replicas of Taj Mahal. The last time a UP CM visited the Taj was Akhilesh Yadav, more than two years back. That was the Valentine's Day and Akhilesh sat on one of the benches in front of the monument along with his wife and Kannauj MP Dimple Yadav.

Amid raging controversy Adityanath visits Taj Mahal

<p>Three of the four suspects who attacked a Swiss couple in Fatehpur Sikri on Sunday have been arrested.</p>

<p>All three arrested are minors, the public relations officer of director general of police said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>All four youths, news reports said, are in the age group of eight to 16.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Fatehpur Sikri Swiss couple attack: Out of the 4 accused, 3 have been arrested, all the three arrested are minors- DGP PRO</p>
&mdash; ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/923551583538999297?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/sushma-swaraj-steps-in-after-swiss-couple-brutally-attacked-in-fatehpur-sikri-22931" target="_blank">Also read: Swiss couple attacked in Fatehpur Sikri</a></p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/storm-on-social-media-after-swiss-couple-attacked-in-fatehpur-sikri-22978" target="_blank">Also read:&nbsp;Storm on social media after Swiss couple attacked in Fatehpur Sikri</a></p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/attacks-on-foreign-tourists-raise-questions-on-indian-ethos-22979" target="_blank">Also read: Attacks on Swiss couple raise questions on Indian ethics</a></p>

<p>Quentin Jeremy Clerc, 24 and his girlfriend Marie Droz, also 24, were chased and attacked by a group of youths near the Fatehpur Sikri railway station on Sunday, October 22.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The youths had been following Clerc and Marie from Agra for a day before they attacked them. They had also harassed Marie before they finally attacked the couple.</p>

<p>Clerc was left with&nbsp;a fractured skull, a clot in his brain, a hearing impairment, a broken arm, and multiple bruises after the attack.</p>

<p>Marie was left with a broken arm.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Clerc has since been moved out of ICU.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Clerc and Marie are currently admitted at&nbsp;Apollo Hospital in Delhi.</p>


The group of youths had attacked a Swiss couple on Sunday in Fatehpur Sikri

Three of the four suspects who attacked a Swiss couple in Fatehpur Sikri on Sunday have been arrested. All three arrested are minors, the public relations officer of director general of police said. All four youths, news reports said, are in the age group of eight to 16. Fatehpur Sikri Swiss couple attack: Out of the 4 accused, 3 have been arrested, all the three arrested are minors- DGP PRO — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) October 26, 2017 × Also read: Swiss couple attacked in Fatehpur Sikri Also read: Storm on social media after Swiss couple attacked in Fatehpur Sikri Also read: Attacks on Swiss couple raise questions on Indian ethics Quentin Jeremy Clerc, 24 and his girlfriend Marie Droz, also 24, were chased and attacked by a group of youths near the Fatehpur Sikri railway station on Sunday, October 22. The youths had been following Clerc and Marie from Agra for a day before they attacked them. They had also harassed Marie before they finally attacked the couple. Clerc was left with a fractured skull, a clot in his brain, a hearing impairment, a broken arm, and multiple bruises after the attack. Marie was left with a broken arm. Clerc has since been moved out of ICU. Clerc and Marie are currently admitted at Apollo Hospital in Delhi.

Fatehpur Sikri attack: Three of 4 suspects arrested; all 3 are minors, say police

<p>External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj has responded to a news report&nbsp;of a Swiss couple being attacked in Fatehpur Sikri near Agra on Sunday.</p>

<p>The external affairs minister today asked for a report from the state government and said her officers will reach the hospital in Delhi, where the couple are admitted after they were reportedly attacked brutally by a group of youth with stones and sticks.&nbsp;</p>

<p>News agency&nbsp;ANI reported&nbsp;the police have registered an FIR against four people, at least one person has been arrested.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/attacks-on-foreign-tourists-raise-questions-on-indian-ethos-22979" target="_blank">Also read: Attack&nbsp;on Swiss couple raises questions about Indian ethics</a></p>

<p>Soon after her post on Twitter, officials from the Ministry of External Affairs arrived at the Apollo hospital where&nbsp;Quentin Jeremy Clerc, 24 and his girlfriend Marie Droz, also 24, are admitted.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-cards="hidden" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I have just seen this. I have asked for a report from the State Government. / 1 <a href="https://t.co/NbJk4BF5iS">https://t.co/NbJk4BF5iS</a> via <a href="https://twitter.com/TOICitiesNews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TOICitiesNews</a></p>
&mdash; Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) <a href="https://twitter.com/SushmaSwaraj/status/923397853463986176?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></center>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">My officers will reach them in the hospital. /2</p>
&mdash; Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) <a href="https://twitter.com/SushmaSwaraj/status/923399286217326593?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></center>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Fatehpur Sikri Swiss couple attack: MEA officials arrive at Apollo Hospital in Delhi where the victims are admitted <a href="https://t.co/KUz9MkTlHf">pic.twitter.com/KUz9MkTlHf</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/923448269786701824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></center>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>The couple said they were strolling near the railway station at Fatehpur Sikri when the group started following them and harassing Marie.</p>

<p>The youth subsequently attacked Clerc who was left with a fractured skull, a clot in his brain, a hearing impairment, a broken arm and multiple bruises, doctors attending on him told a media outlet.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/swisscouple1-20171026065116.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
<p>When Marie intervened, she, too, was attacked. Her left arm has been broken (Zee News Network)</p>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>&quot;They initially passed comments, which we didn&#39;t understand, and then forced us to stop so they could take selfies with Marie,&quot; Quentin told the media outlet from his hospital bed.</p>

<p>The couple said as they lay injured on the ground, bystanders began recording videos of them on their mobile.&nbsp;When Marie intervened, she, too, was attacked. Her left arm has been broken and she was operated upon on Tuesday.Marie has rubbished rumours that they were kissing. One of the local cops had said that may have been a reason for &quot;instigating&quot; the crowd.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
The couple had come to India on September 30.</p>

<p>Soon after the incident, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav launched an attack on the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government in the state.</p>

<p>He also sarcastically asked the government &quot;what happened to the anti-Romeo squads&quot;, referring to the deployment of police officials set up by the Uttar Pradesh chief minister to curb incidents of sexual harassment soon after he took charge earlier this year.</p>

<p>&quot;There has been an unprecedented rise in cases of crime and loot in the state,&quot; Akhilesh Yadav said.</p>

<p>&quot;What happened to anti-Romeo squads? A couple visiting Fatehpur Sikri were beaten when they tried to click a selfie,&quot; the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister added.</p>

<p>Congress leader Milind&nbsp;Deora and author&nbsp;Taslima Nasreen also expressed their outrage on Twitter. As did many others on the social networking platform.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-cards="hidden" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Such a shameful story on the breakdown of law &amp; order in India&rsquo;s largest state. Is <a href="https://twitter.com/myogiadityanath?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@myogiadityanath</a> listening?<a href="https://t.co/kywJhOB9Ns">https://t.co/kywJhOB9Ns</a></p>
&mdash; Milind Deora (@milinddeora) <a href="https://twitter.com/milinddeora/status/923382899021266945?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></center>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-cards="hidden" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">OMG! Tajmahal tourists are attacked in Agra. Tourists should be increased, should not be decreased. <a href="https://t.co/FdvMAiD3Rr">https://t.co/FdvMAiD3Rr</a></p>
&mdash; taslima nasreen (@taslimanasreen) <a href="https://twitter.com/taslimanasreen/status/923447193511518209?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></center>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-cards="hidden" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">?hongi Adityanath visits Taj Mahal but who is responsible for this?Is this Athiti Devo Bhava? UP Law &amp; Order RIP<a href="https://t.co/zGWpgTaoRi">https://t.co/zGWpgTaoRi</a></p>
&mdash; Shehzad Poonawalla (@Shehzad_Ind) <a href="https://twitter.com/Shehzad_Ind/status/923393883119132672?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></center>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-cards="hidden" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Highly shameful incident where mob chased a Swiss couple in UP.<br />
Man left with loss of hearing and a fractured skull.<br />
Atithi Devo Bhwa? <a href="https://t.co/f2aNjorOXp">pic.twitter.com/f2aNjorOXp</a></p>
&mdash; Bajwa ? (@ShakkrPara) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShakkrPara/status/923447005094883328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></center>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<center>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Swiss couple attacked...attack on tourism industry..why should not culprits should be thrown out of country for being anti national <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/swiss?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#swiss</a></p>
&mdash; Caring Citizen (@CaringCitizen4) <a href="https://twitter.com/CaringCitizen4/status/923449298812940288?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></center>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


A group of youth attacked the couple. Quentin jeremy Clerc was left with a fractured skull, a clot in his brain, a hearing impairment, a broken arm and multiple bruises, doctors attending on him said

External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj has responded to a news report of a Swiss couple being attacked in Fatehpur Sikri near Agra on Sunday. The external affairs minister today asked for a report from the state government and said her officers will reach the hospital in Delhi, where the couple are admitted after they were reportedly attacked brutally by a group of youth with stones and sticks. News agency ANI reported the police have registered an FIR against four people, at least one person has been arrested. Also read: Attack on Swiss couple raises questions about Indian ethics Soon after her post on Twitter, officials from the Ministry of External Affairs arrived at the Apollo hospital where Quentin Jeremy Clerc, 24 and his girlfriend Marie Droz, also 24, are admitted. I have just seen this. I have asked for a report from the State Government. / 1 https://t.co/NbJk4BF5iS via @TOICitiesNews — Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) October 26, 2017 × My officers will reach them in the hospital. /2 — Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) October 26, 2017 × Fatehpur Sikri Swiss couple attack: MEA officials arrive at Apollo Hospital in Delhi where the victims are admitted pic.twitter.com/KUz9MkTlHf — ANI (@ANI) October 26, 2017 × The couple said they were strolling near the railway station at Fatehpur Sikri when the group started following them and harassing Marie. The youth subsequently attacked Clerc who was left with a fractured skull, a clot in his brain, a hearing impairment, a broken arm and multiple bruises, doctors attending on him told a media outlet. When Marie intervened, she, too, was attacked. Her left arm has been broken (Zee News Network) × "They initially passed comments, which we didn't understand, and then forced us to stop so they could take selfies with Marie," Quentin told the media outlet from his hospital bed. The couple said as they lay injured on the ground, bystanders began recording videos of them on their mobile. When Marie intervened, she, too, was attacked. Her left arm has been broken and she was operated upon on Tuesday.Marie has rubbished rumours that they were kissing. One of the local cops had said that may have been a reason for "instigating" the crowd. The couple had come to India on September 30. Soon after the incident, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav launched an attack on the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government in the state. He also sarcastically asked the government "what happened to the anti-Romeo squads", referring to the deployment of police officials set up by the Uttar Pradesh chief minister to curb incidents of sexual harassment soon after he took charge earlier this year. "There has been an unprecedented rise in cases of crime and loot in the state," Akhilesh Yadav said. "What happened to anti-Romeo squads? A couple visiting Fatehpur Sikri were beaten when they tried to click a selfie," the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister added. Congress leader Milind Deora and author Taslima Nasreen also expressed their outrage on Twitter. As did many others on the social networking platform. Such a shameful story on the breakdown of law & order in India’s largest state. Is @myogiadityanath listening?https://t.co/kywJhOB9Ns — Milind Deora (@milinddeora) October 26, 2017 × OMG! Tajmahal tourists are attacked in Agra. Tourists should be increased, should not be decreased. https://t.co/FdvMAiD3Rr — taslima nasreen (@taslimanasreen) October 26, 2017 × ?hongi Adityanath visits Taj Mahal but who is responsible for this?Is this Athiti Devo Bhava? UP Law & Order RIPhttps://t.co/zGWpgTaoRi — Shehzad Poonawalla (@Shehzad_Ind) October 26, 2017 × Highly shameful incident where mob chased a Swiss couple in UP. Man left with loss of hearing and a fractured skull. Atithi Devo Bhwa? pic.twitter.com/f2aNjorOXp — Bajwa ? (@ShakkrPara) October 26, 2017 × Swiss couple attacked...attack on tourism industry..why should not culprits should be thrown out of country for being anti national #swiss — Caring Citizen (@CaringCitizen4) October 26, 2017 ×

Swiss couple attacked in Fatehpur Sikri: Police arrest one person; Opposition slams UP govt

<p>A Swiss couple got beaten up by a group of people at Fatehpur Sikri, Agra. This beaten, swollen, bloody bodies of two human beings do not go down well with our national image. The group of people who committed this heinous crime behaved like barbarians but India is a civilised nation. We have in the past, in moments of frenzy or because of deep-seated religious values, killed few people here and there. But these victims have mostly come from minority marginalised communities.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="row">
<div class="article-blockquote">
<div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 blockquote-content quoteshare">
<blockquote>
<h5>We want foreign investment and at the same time beat up foreigners.</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=We want foreign investment and at the same time beat up foreigners." target="_blank"><i class="fa fa-share">&nbsp;</i></a></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqquoteclosemark">&times;</a></div>
</div>
</div>

<p>What prompted a group of people to bludgeon a foreign couple can be a matter of introspection. We can trivialise it as a single episode of violence without context and feel simply sad as to how these uneducated poor Indians do not even understand the shastraic injections that ask Hindus to treat all &quot;Atithis&quot;&nbsp;i.e. guests as &lsquo;deva&rsquo; or god. Nodding in despair, we can mutter to ourselves, this is indeed &lsquo;incredible India&rsquo; - we want foreign investment and at the same time beat up foreigners.</p>

<p>Taking refuge in despair or in tradition, however, is not the answer to the situation. Actions are needed and, more importantly, introspection as to what acts as sources of these kinds of violence.</p>

<p>Beating up foreigners is not new to Indians. We beat up African nationals with impunity. But there a clear difference between treatment meted out to black folks and the white people visiting the Aryavarta.</p>

<p>Indians don&rsquo;t consider themselves black. Far from it, our extensive interactions as journalists confirmed this that many Indians see Africans as monsters and cannibals. But we don&rsquo;t share similar racial animosity towards the white people. With our pride in the Aryan heritage and deep fascination about white skin, we receive westerners with a bunch of contradictory feelings. They are &lsquo;mlecchas&rsquo; or irreligious, unclean, promiscuous, are divorcing all the time, and the girls grow up with no or little values. Their mothers are not like our mothers. Their mothers smoke, drink and don&rsquo;t spend their lives in the kitchen as ours do. In all these areas we feel superior. We have something to teach them.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="row">
<div class="article-blockquote">
<div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 blockquote-content quoteshare">
<blockquote>
<h5>Millions of foreigners visit Agra every year. Both Fatehpur Sikri and Taj Mahal are global destinations for tourists.</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Millions of foreigners visit Agra every year. Both Fatehpur Sikri and Taj Mahal are global destinations for tourists." target="_blank"><i class="fa fa-share">&nbsp;</i></a></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqquoteclosemark">&times;</a></div>
</div>
</div>

<p>But our fascination with the West or, more precisely, with the Whites don&rsquo;t end either. They have ruled us and, hence, they had to be superior in some intrinsic way. They are rich. They speak English-the ultimate mark of education. They are confident, even their women are.</p>

<p>So, we can&rsquo;t claim that it is jingoism that prompted this act of violence. People living in and around Agra meet and mix with foreigners on a daily basis. Millions of foreigners visit Agra every year. Both Fatehpur Sikri and Taj Mahal are global destinations for tourists.</p>

<p>The white couple was subjected to violence is the news but, in reality, the aggression was in the first placed directed towards the white woman. Maybe the couples were holding hands or maybe not. Maybe they were kissing or maybe not. We may indulge ourselves, just like the cop did, in all kinds of speculations to fathom what provoked the violence. But emphasising on the gesture will miss the bigger point as to the mindset that causes the action.</p>

<p>Even if the couple did not publicly express their affection, this violence could have taken place. My friend, another white woman from the US, during her brief research trip to Delhi, was every day subjected to sexually explicit comments, people stalked her, threw stuff in her living room etc. She almost escaped Delhi. An expert in South Asian Studies, it is sad that she is too emotionally overwhelmed to visit Delhi again.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="row">
<div class="article-blockquote">
<div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 blockquote-content quoteshare">
<blockquote>
<h5>A great nation cannot be created with petty people who continue to treat women, Indian or otherwise, as objects of lust and violence.</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=A great nation cannot be created with petty people who continue to treat women, Indian or otherwise, as objects of lust and violence." target="_blank"><i class="fa fa-share">&nbsp;</i></a></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqquoteclosemark">&times;</a></div>
</div>
</div>

<p>The white people continue to be seen as the superior race; its women folks very desirable but unattainable. One doesn&#39;t need to be very smart to realise that the long history of colonial subjugation has shaped our views of the master race. But deeply entrenched within this feeling of inferiority is a perception that white women are sexually promiscuous. While Indian women are shaped by tradition to be monogamous and be under purdah, the white women, on the other hand, because of the natural ease they display in mingling with members of the opposite sex are seen as more open to sexual advances. The&nbsp;Swiss guy got beaten up not because he is a white or for being a foreigner but because he stood in the way of the expression of this lewd behaviour.</p>

<p>The stereotypes that we nurture in our heads have taken a life of their own. We don&rsquo;t exercise agencies over them. Instead, they have come to control our thoughts and actions. Historically speaking, the Western world for centuries have propagated such stereotypical views about the oriental men and women. They have portrayed us as virile, lazy, dishonest, passive, scheming, and our womenfolk, particularly, as baby churning machine with no sense of independence. An entire genre of postcolonial studies has cropped up critiquing the western approach. But the reverse stereotyping that we have given in to is making us an intolerant regressive society.</p>

<p>A great nation cannot be created with petty people who continue to treat women, Indian or otherwise, as objects of lust and violence.</p>


India can not pave the road to growth and development with hackneyed ideas prevailing in regressive minds

A Swiss couple got beaten up by a group of people at Fatehpur Sikri, Agra. This beaten, swollen, bloody bodies of two human beings do not go down well with our national image. The group of people who committed this heinous crime behaved like barbarians but India is a civilised nation. We have in the past, in moments of frenzy or because of deep-seated religious values, killed few people here and there. But these victims have mostly come from minority marginalised communities. We want foreign investment and at the same time beat up foreigners. × What prompted a group of people to bludgeon a foreign couple can be a matter of introspection. We can trivialise it as a single episode of violence without context and feel simply sad as to how these uneducated poor Indians do not even understand the shastraic injections that ask Hindus to treat all "Atithis" i.e. guests as ‘deva’ or god. Nodding in despair, we can mutter to ourselves, this is indeed ‘incredible India’ - we want foreign investment and at the same time beat up foreigners. Taking refuge in despair or in tradition, however, is not the answer to the situation. Actions are needed and, more importantly, introspection as to what acts as sources of these kinds of violence. Beating up foreigners is not new to Indians. We beat up African nationals with impunity. But there a clear difference between treatment meted out to black folks and the white people visiting the Aryavarta. Indians don’t consider themselves black. Far from it, our extensive interactions as journalists confirmed this that many Indians see Africans as monsters and cannibals. But we don’t share similar racial animosity towards the white people. With our pride in the Aryan heritage and deep fascination about white skin, we receive westerners with a bunch of contradictory feelings. They are ‘mlecchas’ or irreligious, unclean, promiscuous, are divorcing all the time, and the girls grow up with no or little values. Their mothers are not like our mothers. Their mothers smoke, drink and don’t spend their lives in the kitchen as ours do. In all these areas we feel superior. We have something to teach them. Millions of foreigners visit Agra every year. Both Fatehpur Sikri and Taj Mahal are global destinations for tourists. × But our fascination with the West or, more precisely, with the Whites don’t end either. They have ruled us and, hence, they had to be superior in some intrinsic way. They are rich. They speak English-the ultimate mark of education. They are confident, even their women are. So, we can’t claim that it is jingoism that prompted this act of violence. People living in and around Agra meet and mix with foreigners on a daily basis. Millions of foreigners visit Agra every year. Both Fatehpur Sikri and Taj Mahal are global destinations for tourists. The white couple was subjected to violence is the news but, in reality, the aggression was in the first placed directed towards the white woman. Maybe the couples were holding hands or maybe not. Maybe they were kissing or maybe not. We may indulge ourselves, just like the cop did, in all kinds of speculations to fathom what provoked the violence. But emphasising on the gesture will miss the bigger point as to the mindset that causes the action. Even if the couple did not publicly express their affection, this violence could have taken place. My friend, another white woman from the US, during her brief research trip to Delhi, was every day subjected to sexually explicit comments, people stalked her, threw stuff in her living room etc. She almost escaped Delhi. An expert in South Asian Studies, it is sad that she is too emotionally overwhelmed to visit Delhi again. A great nation cannot be created with petty people who continue to treat women, Indian or otherwise, as objects of lust and violence. × The white people continue to be seen as the superior race; its women folks very desirable but unattainable. One doesn't need to be very smart to realise that the long history of colonial subjugation has shaped our views of the master race. But deeply entrenched within this feeling of inferiority is a perception that white women are sexually promiscuous. While Indian women are shaped by tradition to be monogamous and be under purdah, the white women, on the other hand, because of the natural ease they display in mingling with members of the opposite sex are seen as more open to sexual advances. The Swiss guy got beaten up not because he is a white or for being a foreigner but because he stood in the way of the expression of this lewd behaviour. The stereotypes that we nurture in our heads have taken a life of their own. We don’t exercise agencies over them. Instead, they have come to control our thoughts and actions. Historically speaking, the Western world for centuries have propagated such stereotypical views about the oriental men and women. They have portrayed us as virile, lazy, dishonest, passive, scheming, and our womenfolk, particularly, as baby churning machine with no sense of independence. An entire genre of postcolonial studies has cropped up critiquing the western approach. But the reverse stereotyping that we have given in to is making us an intolerant regressive society. A great nation cannot be created with petty people who continue to treat women, Indian or otherwise, as objects of lust and violence.

Attacks on Swiss couple raise questions on Indian ethics

<p>The Supreme Court has&nbsp;passed an order for demolition of parking lot around Taj Mahal in Agra, stating that this could potentially be an environmental hazard.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Supreme Court passed the order on a petition of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">SC ordered demolition of parking lot around Taj Mahal, noted that the parking lot could be an environmental hazard: Lawyer appearing for ASI</p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/922722505139167232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 24, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Earlier in August, during&nbsp;the hearing of an application seeking its nod to cut over 400 trees to lay down an additional railway track between Mathura in Uttar Pradesh to Delhi, the Supreme Court had lashed out at the government.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;This (Taj Mahal) is a<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taj_Mahal">&nbsp;world-famous&nbsp;</a>monument and you (government) want to destroy it? Have you seen the recent pictures of Taj? Go to the internet and have a look at it,&rdquo; a&nbsp;bench comprising of Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak&nbsp;Gupta had said.</p>

<p>The apex court, which was dealing with a petition filed by environmentalist M C Mehta, has&nbsp;been monitoring development in the area to protect the historic Taj Mahal.&nbsp;The plea had&nbsp;said that in order to clear the bottleneck of train movement, it was necessary to lay down the additional track in the stretch.&nbsp;The court would hear the matter next month.</p>

<p>Moreover, The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on August 2&nbsp;directed the Uttar Pradesh government to demolish illegal restaurant constructed by a private party near Taj Mahal in Agra, observeing&nbsp;that the ecology of the area surrounding the Taj Mahal cannot be compromised.</p>

<p>The apex court had earlier passed directions on the issue of protecting the iconic monument.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from news agency PTI)</em></p>


SC Notes parking lots to be an environmental hazard, lawyer appearing for Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)

The Supreme Court has passed an order for demolition of parking lot around Taj Mahal in Agra, stating that this could potentially be an environmental hazard. The Supreme Court passed the order on a petition of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). SC ordered demolition of parking lot around Taj Mahal, noted that the parking lot could be an environmental hazard: Lawyer appearing for ASI — ANI (@ANI) October 24, 2017 × Earlier in August, during the hearing of an application seeking its nod to cut over 400 trees to lay down an additional railway track between Mathura in Uttar Pradesh to Delhi, the Supreme Court had lashed out at the government. "This (Taj Mahal) is a world-famous monument and you (government) want to destroy it? Have you seen the recent pictures of Taj? Go to the internet and have a look at it,” a bench comprising of Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta had said. The apex court, which was dealing with a petition filed by environmentalist M C Mehta, has been monitoring development in the area to protect the historic Taj Mahal. The plea had said that in order to clear the bottleneck of train movement, it was necessary to lay down the additional track in the stretch. The court would hear the matter next month. Moreover, The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on August 2 directed the Uttar Pradesh government to demolish illegal restaurant constructed by a private party near Taj Mahal in Agra, observeing that the ecology of the area surrounding the Taj Mahal cannot be compromised. The apex court had earlier passed directions on the issue of protecting the iconic monument. (With inputs from news agency PTI)

Supreme Court orders demolition of parking lot around Taj Mahal

<p>The BJP MLA from Sardhana Sangeet Som has said the man who built the Taj Mahal -- Shah Jahan -- had wanted to wipe out Hindus.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;Many people were disappointed that the Taj Mahal was removed from UP tourism booklet. What history are we talking about? The creator of Taj Mahal (Shahjahan) imprisoned his father. He wanted to wipe out Hindus. If these people are part of our history, then it is very sad and we will change this history,&quot; PTI reported Som as saying.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">BJP&#39;s Sangeet Som says,&#39;Many were sad when Taj Mahal was removed from historical places.What history? Its creator wanted to wipe out Hindus&#39; <a href="https://t.co/5OcpJwC4d7">pic.twitter.com/5OcpJwC4d7</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/919792165949018112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 16, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>The bit about Shahjahan imprisoning his father -- Som got that wrong. It was actually Shahjahan&#39;s son Aurangzeb who imprisoned his father.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Quite on the contrary, it was Shahjahan&#39;s son Aurangzeb who imprisoned him to take control of the Mughal throne.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Uttar Pradesh tourism department had recently brought a booklet. The state&#39;s tourist spots mentioned in it did not include the Taj Mahal.&nbsp;</p>

<p>PTI also reported Som as saying the Taj was a blot on Indian culture.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Som was also an accused in the Muzaffarnagar riots.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In June this year, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had said the Taj -- replicas of which are given to visiting dignitaries -- do not reflect Indian culture.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Taj is thought of as one of the seven wonders of the world.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;</p>


'What history are we talking about? The creator of Taj Mahal (Shahjahan) imprisoned his father. He wanted to wipe out Hindus,' Som said

The BJP MLA from Sardhana Sangeet Som has said the man who built the Taj Mahal -- Shah Jahan -- had wanted to wipe out Hindus. "Many people were disappointed that the Taj Mahal was removed from UP tourism booklet. What history are we talking about? The creator of Taj Mahal (Shahjahan) imprisoned his father. He wanted to wipe out Hindus. If these people are part of our history, then it is very sad and we will change this history," PTI reported Som as saying. BJP's Sangeet Som says,'Many were sad when Taj Mahal was removed from historical places.What history? Its creator wanted to wipe out Hindus' pic.twitter.com/5OcpJwC4d7 — ANI (@ANI) October 16, 2017 × The bit about Shahjahan imprisoning his father -- Som got that wrong. It was actually Shahjahan's son Aurangzeb who imprisoned his father. Quite on the contrary, it was Shahjahan's son Aurangzeb who imprisoned him to take control of the Mughal throne. The Uttar Pradesh tourism department had recently brought a booklet. The state's tourist spots mentioned in it did not include the Taj Mahal. PTI also reported Som as saying the Taj was a blot on Indian culture. Som was also an accused in the Muzaffarnagar riots. In June this year, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had said the Taj -- replicas of which are given to visiting dignitaries -- do not reflect Indian culture. The Taj is thought of as one of the seven wonders of the world.

WATCH: MLA Sangeet Som says Taj creator 'wanted to wipe out Hindus'

<p>Yogi Adityanath has said it does not matter who built the Taj Mahal, or why it was built.&nbsp;</p>

<p>But that it was built with the blood and sweat of Indian labourers.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">It does not matter who built it and for what reason; it was built by blood and sweat of Indian labourers: UP CM Yogi Adityanath <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TajMahal?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TajMahal</a> <a href="https://t.co/KSFU56KIRz">pic.twitter.com/KSFU56KIRz</a></p>
&mdash; ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/920188361439977472?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 17, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">It is very imp for us, especially from tourism perspective it is our priority to provide facilities &amp; safety to tourists there: CM <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TajMahal?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TajMahal</a> <a href="https://t.co/exOCYL0YgD">pic.twitter.com/exOCYL0YgD</a></p>
&mdash; ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/920189104347742208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 17, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>&quot;It does not matter who built it and for what reason; it was built by blood and sweat of Indian labourers,&quot; ANI quoted him as saying.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He did however add that the Taj was &quot;very important for us, especially from tourism perspective&quot;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The controvery had been brewed yesterday by BJP MLA Sangeet Som when he was quoted as having said the Taj was a blot on Indian culture.&nbsp;</p>

<p>That its maker -- Shahjahan -- had put his father in prison, and that he had &quot;wanted to wipe out HIndus&quot;.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/watch-mla-sangeet-som-says-taj-creator-wanted-to-wipe-out-hindus-22478" target="_blank">WATCH: MLA Sangeet Som says Taj creator &#39;wanted to wipe out Hindus&#39;</a></p>

<p>To which the SP&#39;s Azam Khan had replied that by that logic, India&#39;s Parliament and Rashtrapati Bhavan -- built by the British -- were symbols of slavery.&nbsp;</p>

<p>And that they too should be demolished.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Yogi&#39;s most recent comments on the Taj came after Khan&#39;s.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Yogi had earlier said the Taj was not indicative of Indian culture.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/taj-mahal-minarets-not-representative-of-indian-culture-yogi-adityanath-16904" target="_blank">Taj Mahal, minarets not representative of Indian culture: Yogi Adityanath</a></p>

<p>He was at the time complaining about the practice of gifting visiting foreign dignitaries replicas of the Taj.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Taj is considered one of the seven wonders of the world.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Yogi&#39;s government seemed to spite the Taj again recently when a booklet brought out by his government&#39;s tourism department left out the Taj from a list of the state&#39;s tourist spots.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/taj-mahal-not-on-list-of-up-tourist-spots-20914" target="_blank">Also read:&nbsp;Taj Mahal not on list of UP tourist spots</a></p>

<p>ANI also reported Yogi as saying he would be visiting Agra on October 25, and that while there he would visit the Taj.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">We are organizing a special event on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Diwali?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Diwali</a> in Ayodhya, it will be a world class event: Yogi Adityanath, Uttar Pradesh CM <a href="https://t.co/P3JPgjNj1K">pic.twitter.com/P3JPgjNj1K</a></p>
&mdash; ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/920187513473458176?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 17, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/yogi-government-plans-tp-build-100-m-tall-statue-of-lord-ram-in-ayodhya-21204" target="_blank">Also read:&nbsp;Yogi government plans 100-mt-tall Lord Ram statue in Ayodhya</a></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The Uttar Pradesh chief minister added that the Taj was 'very important for us, especially from tourism perspective'

Yogi Adityanath has said it does not matter who built the Taj Mahal, or why it was built. But that it was built with the blood and sweat of Indian labourers. It does not matter who built it and for what reason; it was built by blood and sweat of Indian labourers: UP CM Yogi Adityanath #TajMahal pic.twitter.com/KSFU56KIRz — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) October 17, 2017 × It is very imp for us, especially from tourism perspective it is our priority to provide facilities & safety to tourists there: CM #TajMahal pic.twitter.com/exOCYL0YgD — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) October 17, 2017 × "It does not matter who built it and for what reason; it was built by blood and sweat of Indian labourers," ANI quoted him as saying. He did however add that the Taj was "very important for us, especially from tourism perspective". The controvery had been brewed yesterday by BJP MLA Sangeet Som when he was quoted as having said the Taj was a blot on Indian culture. That its maker -- Shahjahan -- had put his father in prison, and that he had "wanted to wipe out HIndus". WATCH: MLA Sangeet Som says Taj creator 'wanted to wipe out Hindus' To which the SP's Azam Khan had replied that by that logic, India's Parliament and Rashtrapati Bhavan -- built by the British -- were symbols of slavery. And that they too should be demolished. Yogi's most recent comments on the Taj came after Khan's. Yogi had earlier said the Taj was not indicative of Indian culture. Taj Mahal, minarets not representative of Indian culture: Yogi Adityanath He was at the time complaining about the practice of gifting visiting foreign dignitaries replicas of the Taj. The Taj is considered one of the seven wonders of the world. Yogi's government seemed to spite the Taj again recently when a booklet brought out by his government's tourism department left out the Taj from a list of the state's tourist spots. Also read: Taj Mahal not on list of UP tourist spots ANI also reported Yogi as saying he would be visiting Agra on October 25, and that while there he would visit the Taj. We are organizing a special event on #Diwali in Ayodhya, it will be a world class event: Yogi Adityanath, Uttar Pradesh CM pic.twitter.com/P3JPgjNj1K — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) October 17, 2017 × Also read: Yogi government plans 100-mt-tall Lord Ram statue in Ayodhya

Yogi on Taj Mahal: Does not matter who built it & why, was built by blood & sweat of Indian labourers

<p lang="EN-US">Chetan Bhagat and immaculate English don&rsquo;t usually go in the same sentence, but a grammatical error made by the&nbsp;popular pulp fiction writer had the&nbsp;Twitterati&nbsp;trolling him. Bhagat had tweeted out a comment on&nbsp;Washington Post&#39;s article on the iconic Taj Mahal being not included in the Uttar Pradesh Tourism booklet.&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US">Bhagat posted a poll with a tweet which basically posed the question if Indians saw Taj Mahal as a&nbsp;Muslim monument: &quot;Did you ever, as an Indian, saw the Taj as a &#39;Muslim&#39; monument (as @washingtonpost&nbsp;is saying it&#39;s being neglected because it is Muslim).&quot; Last checked, 84 per cent of those responding said they saw Taj as an Indian monument, while another 16 per cent felt it was a Muslim one.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Did you ever, as an Indian, saw the Taj as a &#39;Muslim&#39; monument (as <a href="https://twitter.com/washingtonpost?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@washingtonpost is saying it&#39;s being neglected because it is Muslim)</a></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
<a href="https://twitter.com/washingtonpost?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">&mdash; Chetan Bhagat (@chetan_bhagat) </a><a href="https://twitter.com/chetan_bhagat/status/915429847408590848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2017</a></blockquote>
<a href="https://twitter.com/chetan_bhagat/status/915429847408590848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">&nbsp; <script?async?src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>&nbsp;</a></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>However, some tweeters decided to latch on to the&nbsp;&#39;grammatically&nbsp;incorrect English&#39; in the&nbsp;Tweet by Bhagat who has often defended his English&nbsp;as simple and easy to understand&nbsp;even for those not educated in the language.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">As an Indian once wanted to Saw the Taj but they didn&rsquo;t let me enter with a Saw and said u can only see the Taj, not saw it <a href="https://t.co/TkS20ixwaX">https://t.co/TkS20ixwaX</a></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
<a href="https://t.co/TkS20ixwaX">&mdash; Joy (@Joydas) </a><a href="https://twitter.com/Joydas/status/915534349486796801?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2017</a></blockquote>
<a href="https://twitter.com/Joydas/status/915534349486796801?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">&nbsp; <script?async?src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>&nbsp; </a></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>Some even put up mock polls in response to Bhagat&#39;s poll on the&nbsp;Indian-ness&nbsp;of Taj.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">How do you see Chetan Bhagat</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
&mdash; Pun of God (@Punofgod) <a href="https://twitter.com/Punofgod/status/915514243180527616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2017</a></blockquote>
<a href="https://twitter.com/Punofgod/status/915514243180527616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">&nbsp; <script?async?src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>&nbsp;</a></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>The former investment banker turned &quot;dramedy&nbsp;writer&quot;, as Wikipedia describes him, has also tried his hand at Bollywood script writing and has written &#39;Kai Poche&#39;&nbsp;and &#39;Two States&#39;, both Hindi films based on his books.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">For a guy who claims to be a writer in English, that&#39;s some really bad grammar!</p>
&mdash; ?SoM? (@crazy4fawad) <a href="https://twitter.com/crazy4fawad/status/915460631385559040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>Bhagat even&nbsp;apologised&nbsp;for the error which he said was because of the &quot;auto-correct&quot; feature on his phone, but some even suggested he read Wren &amp; Martin, the English&nbsp;grammar book&nbsp;most school-going children in India read.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Yes I apologise for the phone autocorrect typo. Though I think everyone did get the point. Oh, btw it is Come On! Not Common! <a href="https://t.co/3aWSIAzMsi">https://t.co/3aWSIAzMsi</a></p>
&mdash; Chetan Bhagat (@chetan_bhagat) <a href="https://twitter.com/chetan_bhagat/status/916212855212408832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Did you ever, as an Indian, saw the Taj as a &#39;Muslim&#39; monument (as <a href="https://twitter.com/washingtonpost?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@washingtonpost</a> is saying it&#39;s being neglected because it is Muslim)</p>
&mdash; Chetan Bhagat (@chetan_bhagat) <a href="https://twitter.com/chetan_bhagat/status/915429847408590848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">so If Trump says or feels something we can say America says or feels the same? <a href="https://t.co/8FHeeKBqWQ">https://t.co/8FHeeKBqWQ</a></p>
&mdash; Chetan Bhagat (@chetan_bhagat) <a href="https://twitter.com/chetan_bhagat/status/915524686439620608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Bhagat had tweeted his comment in response to the Washington Post article asking 'Is India neglecting the Taj because it was built by Muslims?'

Chetan Bhagat and immaculate English don’t usually go in the same sentence, but a grammatical error made by the popular pulp fiction writer had the Twitterati trolling him. Bhagat had tweeted out a comment on Washington Post's article on the iconic Taj Mahal being not included in the Uttar Pradesh Tourism booklet. Bhagat posted a poll with a tweet which basically posed the question if Indians saw Taj Mahal as a Muslim monument: "Did you ever, as an Indian, saw the Taj as a 'Muslim' monument (as @washingtonpost is saying it's being neglected because it is Muslim)." Last checked, 84 per cent of those responding said they saw Taj as an Indian monument, while another 16 per cent felt it was a Muslim one. Did you ever, as an Indian, saw the Taj as a 'Muslim' monument (as @washingtonpost is saying it's being neglected because it is Muslim) — Chetan Bhagat (@chetan_bhagat) October 4, 2017 × However, some tweeters decided to latch on to the 'grammatically incorrect English' in the Tweet by Bhagat who has often defended his English as simple and easy to understand even for those not educated in the language. As an Indian once wanted to Saw the Taj but they didn’t let me enter with a Saw and said u can only see the Taj, not saw it https://t.co/TkS20ixwaX — Joy (@Joydas) October 4, 2017 × Some even put up mock polls in response to Bhagat's poll on the Indian-ness of Taj. How do you see Chetan Bhagat — Pun of God (@Punofgod) October 4, 2017 × The former investment banker turned "dramedy writer", as Wikipedia describes him, has also tried his hand at Bollywood script writing and has written 'Kai Poche' and 'Two States', both Hindi films based on his books. For a guy who claims to be a writer in English, that's some really bad grammar! — ?SoM? (@crazy4fawad) October 4, 2017 × Bhagat even apologised for the error which he said was because of the "auto-correct" feature on his phone, but some even suggested he read Wren & Martin, the English grammar book most school-going children in India read. Yes I apologise for the phone autocorrect typo. Though I think everyone did get the point. Oh, btw it is Come On! Not Common! https://t.co/3aWSIAzMsi — Chetan Bhagat (@chetan_bhagat) October 6, 2017 × Did you ever, as an Indian, saw the Taj as a 'Muslim' monument (as @washingtonpost is saying it's being neglected because it is Muslim) — Chetan Bhagat (@chetan_bhagat) October 4, 2017 × so If Trump says or feels something we can say America says or feels the same? https://t.co/8FHeeKBqWQ — Chetan Bhagat (@chetan_bhagat) October 4, 2017 ×

Chetan Bhagat tweets 'did you saw the Taj...', Twitter replies 'really bad grammar'

<p>&quot;Do you want to destroy&nbsp;the world-famous Taj Mahal,&quot;&nbsp;the Supreme Court asked the government today.<br />
<br />
The scathing remarks by the apex court came during the hearing of an application seeking its nod to cut over 400 trees to lay down an additional railway track between Mathura in Uttar Pradesh to Delhi.<br />
<br />
&quot;This (Taj Mahal) is a world famous monument and you (government) want to destroy it? Have you seen the recent pictures of Taj? Go to the internet and have a look at it,&quot; a bench comprising Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta said.<br />
<br />
&quot;If you want, then file an affidavit or application and say that the Union of India wants to destroy the Taj,&quot; the bench said.<br />
<br />
The apex court, which is dealing with a petition filed by environmentalist M C Mehta, has been monitoring development in the area to protect the historic Taj Mahal, built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz in 1631 and which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.<br />
<br />
The court was hearing an application which has sought its nod to cut around 450 trees there in an around 80 km stretch on which the additional railway track would be laid between Mathura and Delhi.<br />
<br />
The plea has said that in order to clear the bottleneck of train movement, it was necessary to lay down the additional track in the stretch. The court would hear the matter next month.<br />
<br />
Mehta, in his PIL, has sought protection of the Taj from the ill effects of polluting gases and deforestation in and around the area.<br />
<br />
The apex court had earlier passed a slew of directions on the issue of protecting the iconic monument</p>


The government had asked the court if it could cut down 400 trees to lay down an additional railway track between Mathura and Delhi

"Do you want to destroy the world-famous Taj Mahal," the Supreme Court asked the government today. The scathing remarks by the apex court came during the hearing of an application seeking its nod to cut over 400 trees to lay down an additional railway track between Mathura in Uttar Pradesh to Delhi. "This (Taj Mahal) is a world famous monument and you (government) want to destroy it? Have you seen the recent pictures of Taj? Go to the internet and have a look at it," a bench comprising Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta said. "If you want, then file an affidavit or application and say that the Union of India wants to destroy the Taj," the bench said. The apex court, which is dealing with a petition filed by environmentalist M C Mehta, has been monitoring development in the area to protect the historic Taj Mahal, built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz in 1631 and which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The court was hearing an application which has sought its nod to cut around 450 trees there in an around 80 km stretch on which the additional railway track would be laid between Mathura and Delhi. The plea has said that in order to clear the bottleneck of train movement, it was necessary to lay down the additional track in the stretch. The court would hear the matter next month. Mehta, in his PIL, has sought protection of the Taj from the ill effects of polluting gases and deforestation in and around the area. The apex court had earlier passed a slew of directions on the issue of protecting the iconic monument

'Do you want to destroy the Taj Mahal?' Supreme Court asks government

<p>Security was stepped up on Thursday at India&#39;s iconic Taj Mahal after media reports of the Agra monument being the target of a terror attack by the Islamic State (IS) surfaced.</p>

<p>The <a href="https://ent.siteintelgroup.com/Chatter/pro-is-media-group-threatens-attacks-in-india-shows-taj-mahal-as-target-2.html">SITE intelligence group</a>, which tracks jihadist activity on the web, carried a graphic, originally published by the pro-IS Ahwaal Ummat Media Center, depicting the Taj Mahal as a target. The graphic was posted on the encrypted messaging app Telegram on March 14.</p>

<p>The graphic features a man in combat gear, armed with an assault rifle and a rocket-propelled grenade standing near the Taj Mahal. A tagline in the graphic reads &#39;Next target&#39;.</p>

<p>An image of a vehicle with the Arabic text &ldquo;Agra istishhadi&rdquo; (Agra martyrdom-seeker) written in English is also being interpreted as a warning of a potential attack.</p>

<p>Following the report, a security drill, by Taj Mahal security personnel, police, teams from the bomb disposal squad and the US SWAT SWAT (Special Weapons And Tactics) personnel was conducted at the monument.</p>

<p>Superintendent of police (SP) Sushil Ghule was quoted as saying that the exercise was a part of a regular security drill associated with the Taj Mahotsav to be held this week.&nbsp;</p>

<p>SSP Preetinder Singh, however, admitted that the security measures had been undertaken in view of reports of the IS threat to the monument.</p>

<p>Agra will host the Taj Mahotsav, a 10-day festival, from March 18.<br />
<br />
(WION)<br />
&nbsp;</p>


A pro-Islamic media group has published a graphic depicting the Taj Mahal as a target of IS jihadists

Security was stepped up on Thursday at India's iconic Taj Mahal after media reports of the Agra monument being the target of a terror attack by the Islamic State (IS) surfaced. The SITE intelligence group, which tracks jihadist activity on the web, carried a graphic, originally published by the pro-IS Ahwaal Ummat Media Center, depicting the Taj Mahal as a target. The graphic was posted on the encrypted messaging app Telegram on March 14. The graphic features a man in combat gear, armed with an assault rifle and a rocket-propelled grenade standing near the Taj Mahal. A tagline in the graphic reads 'Next target'. An image of a vehicle with the Arabic text “Agra istishhadi” (Agra martyrdom-seeker) written in English is also being interpreted as a warning of a potential attack. Following the report, a security drill, by Taj Mahal security personnel, police, teams from the bomb disposal squad and the US SWAT SWAT (Special Weapons And Tactics) personnel was conducted at the monument. Superintendent of police (SP) Sushil Ghule was quoted as saying that the exercise was a part of a regular security drill associated with the Taj Mahotsav to be held this week. SSP Preetinder Singh, however, admitted that the security measures had been undertaken in view of reports of the IS threat to the monument. Agra will host the Taj Mahotsav, a 10-day festival, from March 18. (WION)

India: Security stepped up at Taj Mahal after reports of terror threat from Islamic State

<p>From glaciers to well-structured cities, some of these stunning places are facing the brunt of climate change and may go on to completely fade away from the face of Earth.</p>

<h2><strong>Great Barrier Reef</strong></h2>

<p><br />
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/amazing_great_barrier_reef_1-20160926114149.jpg" /></p>

<div class="media-description">
<p>Source: Sarah Ackerman via Wikimedia Commons</p>
</div>

<p>This reef visible from outer space has been facing environmental challenges in the form of rising ocean temperature and increasing acid pollution. Some level of bleaching may also contribute to the fading away of the Great Barrier Reef in the next 100 years.</p>

<h2><br />
<strong>The Seychelles</strong></h2>

<p><br />
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/seychelles-1414983_1920-20160926114628.jpg" /></p>

<div class="media-description">
<p>Source: pixabay.com</p>
</div>

<p>An archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian ocean, the Seychelles, may soon vanish due to beach erosion.</p>

<h2><br />
<strong>The Alps</strong></h2>

<p><br />
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/mont-blanc-1528011_1920-20160926115035.jpg" /></p>

<div class="media-description">
<p>Source: pixabay.com</p>
</div>

<p><br />
The Alps are famous for skiing and other snow sports. Since they sit at a lower latitude than other mountain ranges like the Rocky mountains, they are at a greater risk of shrinking owing to climate change.</p>

<h2><br />
<strong>Athabasca glacier</strong></h2>

<p><br />
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/maligne-lake-1449489_1920-20160926120342.jpg" /></p>

<div class="media-description">
<p>Source: pixabay.com</p>
</div>

<p>Heralded as one of the most-visited glaciers of North America, Athabasca glaciers are losing over five metres of ice every year. The glacier which has already retreated significantly is under threat of complete disappearance.</p>

<h2><br />
<strong>Maldives</strong></h2>

<p><br />
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/maldives-1095105_1920-20160926115537.jpg" /></p>

<div class="media-description">
<p>Source: pixabay.com</p>
</div>

<p><br />
Known for its blue lagoons and beaches, Maldives is a traveller&rsquo;s paradise. This picturesque island nation is, however, the lowest-lying country in the world, which makes it susceptible to be completely submerged under water within 100 years.</p>

<h2><br />
<strong>Venice, Italy</strong></h2>

<p><br />
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/venice-341468_1920-20160926115743.jpg" /></p>

<div class="media-description">
<p>Source: pixabay.com</p>
</div>

<p><br />
Known as one of the most romantic cities in the world, the city of Venice, Italy, has been sinking for years. The recent severe floods are adding to the woes of this city of canals, which is already in ruins.</p>

<h2><br />
<strong>Glacier National Park</strong></h2>

<p><br />
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/st_mary_lake-20160926120022.jpg" /></p>

<div class="media-description">
<p>Source: Ken Thomas via Wikimedia Commons</p>
</div>

<p><br />
Montana&rsquo;s Glacier National Park, which comprised over 150 glaciers in 1910 is left with less than 25 glaciers now. It is at a great risk of losing all its glaciers in the next 15 years.</p>

<h2><br />
<strong>Dead Sea</strong></h2>

<p><br />
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/jordan_dead_sea-20160926112300.jpg" /></p>

<div class="media-description">
<p>Source: Gusjer, Flickr</p>
</div>

<p><br />
The deepest hypersaline lake bordering Jordan and Israel has sunk 80 feet and shrunk by a third. Dead Sea&rsquo;s only water source is river Jordan. If the water from river Jordan is continued to be used, the Dead Sea faces the threat of disappearing within 15 years.</p>

<h2><br />
<strong>Bangladesh</strong></h2>

<p><br />
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/bangladesh_fishing_2006-20160926111617.jpg" /></p>

<div class="media-description">
<p>Source: Michael Foley, World Bank (commons.wikimedia.org)</p>
</div>

<p><br />
Due to its low elevation and severe tropical storms, Bangladesh is vulnerable to the threats imposed by climate change. Rising seas and major shifts in river flow due to Himalayan glacial melts may lead to flooding of the coastal nation.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Taj Mahal</strong></h2>

<p><br />
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/taj_mahal,_agra,_up,_india-20160926111943.jpg" /></p>

<div class="media-description">
<p>Source: Yann (commons.wikimedia.org)</p>
</div>

<p><br />
India&rsquo;s best-known monument, the grand Taj Mahal, has been facing a major threat from pollution. According to a report compiled by India&rsquo;s National Environment Engineering Research Institute in 2010, the protective measures taken have also failed. While the monument may not disappear, it wouldn&#39;t be the same in the next few years.<br />
<br />
(Contributions by Ashna Mishra)<br />
&nbsp;</p>


You need to visit these places before global warming, pollution and other such climate change agents claim them

From glaciers to well-structured cities, some of these stunning places are facing the brunt of climate change and may go on to completely fade away from the face of Earth. Great Barrier Reef Source: Sarah Ackerman via Wikimedia Commons This reef visible from outer space has been facing environmental challenges in the form of rising ocean temperature and increasing acid pollution. Some level of bleaching may also contribute to the fading away of the Great Barrier Reef in the next 100 years. The Seychelles Source: pixabay.com An archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian ocean, the Seychelles, may soon vanish due to beach erosion. The Alps Source: pixabay.com The Alps are famous for skiing and other snow sports. Since they sit at a lower latitude than other mountain ranges like the Rocky mountains, they are at a greater risk of shrinking owing to climate change. Athabasca glacier Source: pixabay.com Heralded as one of the most-visited glaciers of North America, Athabasca glaciers are losing over five metres of ice every year. The glacier which has already retreated significantly is under threat of complete disappearance. Maldives Source: pixabay.com Known for its blue lagoons and beaches, Maldives is a traveller’s paradise. This picturesque island nation is, however, the lowest-lying country in the world, which makes it susceptible to be completely submerged under water within 100 years. Venice, Italy Source: pixabay.com Known as one of the most romantic cities in the world, the city of Venice, Italy, has been sinking for years. The recent severe floods are adding to the woes of this city of canals, which is already in ruins. Glacier National Park Source: Ken Thomas via Wikimedia Commons Montana’s Glacier National Park, which comprised over 150 glaciers in 1910 is left with less than 25 glaciers now. It is at a great risk of losing all its glaciers in the next 15 years. Dead Sea Source: Gusjer, Flickr The deepest hypersaline lake bordering Jordan and Israel has sunk 80 feet and shrunk by a third. Dead Sea’s only water source is river Jordan. If the water from river Jordan is continued to be used, the Dead Sea faces the threat of disappearing within 15 years. Bangladesh Source: Michael Foley, World Bank (commons.wikimedia.org) Due to its low elevation and severe tropical storms, Bangladesh is vulnerable to the threats imposed by climate change. Rising seas and major shifts in river flow due to Himalayan glacial melts may lead to flooding of the coastal nation. Taj Mahal Source: Yann (commons.wikimedia.org) India’s best-known monument, the grand Taj Mahal, has been facing a major threat from pollution. According to a report compiled by India’s National Environment Engineering Research Institute in 2010, the protective measures taken have also failed. While the monument may not disappear, it wouldn't be the same in the next few years. (Contributions by Ashna Mishra)

10 destinations that may vanish due to climate change

taj-mahal-0

Taj Mahal, News on Taj Mahal, stories on Taj Mahal, articles on Taj Mahal, Taj Mahal stories at Wion, Taj Mahal news, Taj Mahal latest news

taj mahal-0