The incident has once again brought into sharp focus the perfunctory manner in which the ASI has been handling the maintenance of the mausoleum, which is one of the wonders of the world and attracts over 20 lakh foreign tourists every year.
A seven-feet high brass pinnacle mounted on top of one of the four minarets at the main Taj Mahal building came tumbling down on Tuesday morning. Though no one was injured, the mishap has set alarm bells ringing for the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and has sparked off all-round concern regarding the upkeep and conservation of the world famous monument.
However, the ASI tried to cover up the incident saying the brass 'kalash' had actually been brought down by labourers as part of repairs going on in the Taj Mahal premises. "We had the pinnacle taken down as the iron rods inside have rusted," said ASI official Ram Ratan supervising the repair works. He said the lime mortar at the top of the minaret was getting frail and needed to be repaired.
A tourist department official here confirmed the incident. He said a four-feet piece of the seven-feet high pinnacle had indeed fallen off but nobody got hurt as the tumbling piece of brass got caught in the mesh of ropes and bamboo poles erected for the labourers carrying out repairs.
The incident has once again brought into sharp focus the perfunctory manner in which the ASI has been handling the maintenance of the mausoleum, which is one of the wonders of the world and attracts over 20 lakh foreign tourists every year.
The Supreme Court and a parliamentary committee which studied the state of the Taj Mahal last year have voiced serious concerns over the maintenance of the monument. Earlier, a decorative lamp known as the Curzon Lamp had come crashing down. Last year, stone pieces had fallen from the Royal Gate during the rains.
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