Devastating thunderstorm damaged Taj Mahal
Another storm that hit Agra on Friday, with a speed of 127 km per hour, has caused serious damage in the city. Due to the storm, the marble railing at the world heritage monument Taj Mahal suffered extensive damage.
According to the preliminary assessment made by the Archaeological Survey of India, a large section of the main dome’s marble railing was destroyed by pieces by the storm. The red sandstone railing on the Chameli platform was also damaged. A lot of stones also fell on the railing that caused serious damage.
The scaffolding had been erected by the chemical branch of the Archaeological Survey of India in March this year, just after the Taj Mahal was closed down on March 17. Its work was stopped due to the lock down on March 23 and since then it had been standing on the Yamuna side of the monument. This scaffolding faced the maximum brunt of the storm and fell on the monument platform, damaging it. The wooden railings erected to keep the tourists away from the monument walls were also damaged.
So far, only the Taj Mahal has reported damage, while Fatehpur Sikri and Itmad-ud-Daulah have not faced any damage. The remaining monuments are being inspected.
In 2018 too devastating storm of 135 km per hour damaged the pillars of the royal and southern gates of the Taj Mahal. A north-west pillar on top of the royal gate and a flower vase in stone and a brass filial were brought down in the thunderstorm, said conservation assistant of the Archaeological Survey of India at Taj Mahal.
Devastating thunderstorm damaged Taj Mahal
Similar, at the southern gate too, a portion of the wall of Rewti Ka Bada got damaged when a tree fell on it. A red sand stone flower vase at Sahindi Begum Makbara also broke and fell.
The good news is that no damage has been assessed on the main monument made of white marble and no tourists were injured at the Taj Mahal in 2018.
The city too faced similar consequences as many trees and electricity poles were uprooted.
