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Taj Mahal ruined by visitors

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INDIA will restrict the number of daily visitors to the Taj Mahal in an attempt to preserve the 17thcentury monument to love, which is also its biggest tourist attraction.
Millions of mostly Indian tourists visit the Taj Mahal every year and their numbers are increasing steadily as domestic travel becomes easier.
Experts say the vast crowds increase wear and tear on the white marble tomb, which already must undergo regular cleaning to stop it turning yellow from polluted air, and could put pressure on its foundations.
In the future, only 40,000 tourists will be allowed to enter the historic complex per day.
“We have to ensure the safety of the monument and visitors as well,” an official with the Archaeological Survey of India said. “Crowd management is a big challenge for us.”
The restrictions will not apply to foreigners, who pay 1,000 rupees (HK$123). Indian visitors normally pay just 40 rupees, but will be able to buy the more expensive ticket if they want to get around the limit.
The Taj Mahal was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as a tomb for his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth in 1631.
Anyone wanting to see the main crypt, which houses the couple’s spectacular marble graves, will also have to pay for the pricier ticket. But the graves do not actually contain the bodies of the royal couple, who are buried in a separate lower chamber.

(This article is published on Junior Standard on 11 January 2018)

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