(Image source from: Taj Mahal to get masked in mud-pack})
If women can go to great lengths and take up extensive beauty treatments like Fuller's earth pack (multani mitti) to battle the effects of pollution on their skin and restore natural sheen, then how could a thing of immortal beauty like the Taj Mahal be left behind.
The prized Indian edifice is all set to undergo a mud pack beauty treatment to retain it's lost sheen and vibrance and do away with the discoloration caused by years of smog and acrid smoke from the nearby industries and fumes from an oil refinery, we hear. Yes, you read that right! Shah Jahan's marble masterpiece is up for some serious beauty indulgence and for a good reason.
The marble mausoleum is all set to be masked with a thick paste of lime-rich clay pack in toto to do away with years of yellowing of its white tiles. The pack will be left overnight and brushed off the next day with soft nylon brushes and rinsed clean with distilled water to do away with all impurities sticking to its surface.
This, however, isn't the first time that the Taj Mahal is up for one such beauty pampering. In fact, the process began nearly two decades ago, in1994, when the Supreme Court of India ordered that the World Monument be swathed with mud pack to retain its original sheen.
The last mud-pack was applied in 2008, but increasing pollution has left the finest specimen of Mughal architecture looking slightly worn out in the recent times. Hence, the quick action.
Built by Emperor Shah Jahan in loving memory of his dearest wife Mumtaz Mahal who passed away during childbirth, the 17th century mausoleum is a complex structure of white marble domes and minarets inlaid with semi-precious stones and carvings. Dubbed by the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, the Taj Mahal took thousands of craftsmen and 21 years to complete and is one of the most thronged tourist attractions in the country.
When launched in 1994, the beauty program warranted global attention, with President Bill Clinton saying: "What 350 years of wars, invasions and natural disasters have failed to do [and] begun to mar the magnificent walls of the Taj Mahal."
Emissions of nitrogen oxide and particulates as well as rising pollution in river Yamuna and dropping water tables had caused the environmental campaigners in Agra to propose the measure.
"The levels are much lower than they were when it was built and there is a serious risk that the whole construction will be destabilized as its foundations are made of wood and need to be kept moist to avoid subsiding," said Ashwina Kumar Mishra, a local activist.
The last mud-pack treatment costed the Archeological Survey of India a whopping 10 lakhs. Around two dozen experts were employed to restore the old sheen of the monument.
The restoration work would take place over six months, but the monument will be kept open for the tourists.
AW: Suchorita Choudhury
