By IPS Correspondents
NEW DELHI, May 12 1998 (IPS)

From the time 345 years ago when the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan built his celebrated marble monument to the woman he loved, the Taj Mahal has faced threats of destruction.

If the forces of preservation have triumphed over the ravages of time and humans, some of the credit must go to the UNESCO which included the Taj among 21 sites from India that qualify for its ‘World Heritage’ list of 500 entries. But despite that exalted status the Taj in recent years has been seriously damaged by extreme conditions – monsoons rains and pollution – that led to the erosion of its smooth white marble exterior.

“Constant humidity has led to the oxidation of the iron dowels and clamps holding down the marble cladding which is now badly cracked and chipped,” said A. C. Grover, director at the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) which has official custody of the Taj.

Adding to the depredations of nature is the threat posed by pollutants from the heavy traffic and the close proximity of factories at Agra which have caused the marble to yellow, Grover said.

UNESCO and the ASI have now obtained the services of the Paris-based Rhone Poulenc Foundation to study and conserve the material used by the mediaeval builders of the Taj, using modern techniques. Officially launched a few weeks ago, the new programme will start with central dome of the Taj which will be is tobe treated with silicon sealants toprevent infiltration of water, said Christian Manhart, programme specialist at UNESCO.

A few years ago, visitors to the Taj were surprised to see water spouting out of two small cracks in the dome and into the cenotaph chamber where lie Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal, the queen for whom he built the monument. Embarrassed ASI official quickly herded out the visitors.

Ever since the Taj became a world heritage site in 1983, it has not lacked for maintenance funds and uncomfortable questions were being asked as to how the money was being spent. Besides, the health of the Taj is a matter or public concern in India where anything claiming excellence from a luxury hotel chain to underwear manufacturers use the name to sell their products and services.

Although Rhone Poulenc Group is offering free its conservation services, which includes building an entire laboratory at Agra, the Taj name could rub off on the French company. “The Rhone- Poulenc Foundation is proud to be partner in of UNESCO and the ASI in conserving the Taj,” said Philppe Desmarescaux,” Director General of the French company.

When the leak occurred it was left to the Khadims, hereditary moslem keepers of the Taj to explained that there had been instances in the past of water suddenly gushing out of the dome even in dry weather. But they talked mysteriously of the marble weeping for the dead royalty it housed.

British colonial records dated 1930 threw better light on the mystery. The 24-metre (80-foot) high dome over the cenotaph chamber is actually topped by a larger ornamental dome separated by a cylindrical drum.

Though not immediately apparent to casual visitors, the double domes form a huge vacant cell into which water seeps and collects before gushing out through fine cracks. While the British carried out at least one drainage operation they were not always so keen to protect the Taj. Soldier billeted in the monument in the early days of the Raj prised out the inlay work of precious and semi- precious stones with pen knives to take home as souvenirs.

Worse, under lord willima Bentinck, who was governor general of India between 1828 and 1836, the British drew up plans to demolish the monument and auction off the marble.

The plan failed only because the bidders thought that the money to be had from the sale of marble would not cover the demolition costs. The Khadims then petitioned Lord Bentinck to have the monument handed back to them citing religious reasons.

Even before the arrival of the British, Moghul power was on the wane and along with it the fate of what the Nobel laureate and poet, Rabindra Nath Tagore described as “a tear drop on the cheek of time.”

In 1784, the warlike Jats, who had little use for fine marble inlay work, rose from the dust of the north Indian plans to raid Agra and carry away everything they could – from a pall of pearls kept over Mumtaz Mahal’s tomb to the solid silver doors leading to the cenotaph.

During the winter of that year, the Jats camped inside the Taj and lit great bonfires within its marble walls to keep themselves warm and very nearly burned the whole edifice down according to historians.

Today, the Taj is not entirely unthreatened by political upheavals. Hindu fanatics have claimed that it stands on the site of an ancient palace which they would like to see restored. However preposterous such claims, people are inclined to take them seriously especially after fanatics demolished, on similar grounds, the Babri Masjid at Ayodhya town, 500 kms east of Agra.

Serious threats to blow up the Taj have come from militants in Punjab and Kashmir states prompting authorities to close the monument for moonlight visits when the white marble is at its opalescent best.

Still the greatest threat to the Taj remains the environmental one. Experts were aghast when a petroleum refinery was allowed to come up within 40 kms of Agra, in spite of warning that fumes from its stacks could attack the marble.

Although the Italian consultancy firm TECNECO which handles similar problems in venice cleared the project in 1983 controversy still rages over whether or not the refinery contributes to the yellowing of the marble.

For now, the Taj remains as solidly resplendent as ever, drawing gasps from tourists and lending itself as a backdrop for dignitaries to pose against during the almost mandatory visits to Agra.

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