Agra, India.

This was my second visit to the Taj. The stories of pollution from across the non-existent Yamuna are now folklore and I obviously expected to see it on the ‘pristine white’ makhrana marble. What I had not expected though was the crowds in the scorching summer heat, the kind of crowds and the lack of efficient crowd control. You can touch every wall with your hands and leave a layer of your sweat on every detail. Nothing is unfortunately being taken care of. The aging marble is turning yellow in every corner, and human touch is as much to blame as the polluting fumes. Millions visit the Taj every year. Thousands touch it everyday. There needs to be restricted access to protect our heritage as much as there is a need to control industrial emissions. Every person in this world has the right to see this great work of art and monument of love, but not every person is conscious and aware enough to realize the negative effects the overcrowding is having. If we are not allowed to touch the Canvas in the art gallery, shouldn’t the cravings, inlays and masterful details of our monuments- even if they are in stone- warrant the same respect and preservation?