Scaffolding at the Taj Mahal - June 2017

Here's what it looks like now; with the Western side under scaffolding, and one eastern side minaret also under scaffolding. Photos thanks to Sunil Gupta!

And here is the view from the Western side, where the scaffolding of the main monument is present:

And here is a view taken from the south-western side:

If you are visiting in 2017, you will encounter scaffolding in some part or the other. But it is a huge monument, so many angles are possible for photography without scaffolding.

The cleaning work is really helping the monument. Here's a "before and after" picture. See how the marble sparkles? It is cleaned using Fuller's Earth, an old process that has traditionally been followed in beauty treatments in India.

Scaffolding at the Taj Mahal: Update on Sep 10, 2016

August 10, 2016

In August we had posted about the scaffolding put up on the Taj Mahal due to ongoing restoration work by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). Here's a small picture of how the Taj Mahal looked in August.

The scaffolding will remain for the rest of the year as work progresses throughout the monument. It is mid-September now, and ASI has speeded up the work. The scaffolding is coming off quickly now.

Taj Mahal - Sep 10, 2016

This recent picture shows that from the platform, scaffolding is only visible on the front ride side. The scaffolding on the front left minaret has been taken off now.

Keep an eye on the blog for further updates.

Update - Scaffolding at the Taj Mahal

A few weeks back we had put up a post about the restoration work going on at the Taj Mahal, with a picture of the scaffolding on it pillars. Here's the picture:

We now have been told that this scaffolding would most probably remain for the rest of the year. They are also putting up new scaffolding on the central body of the structure.

Here's a picture of the scaffolding as of 9th August, 2016.

We'll keep posting new updates here. 

Scaffolding at the Taj Mahal

This is a recent picture of the Taj Mahal in Agra.

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is carrying out some restoration work in the interior and exterior of the structure. As you can see, two of the minarets have been covered with scaffolding. We are not sure of when it will come off. We will post an update as soon as it does.

Chameli Farsh at the Taj Mahal

The Chameli Farsh, or the 'Jasmine Carpet' has floral marble designs set in red sandstone. Although it is visible all around the Taj, you should get to the Tahkhana, to really enjoy the effect.

The Tahkhana is an elevation on the northern side of the Taj, where it faces the river Yamuna. The flooring, like the rest of the Chameli Farsh is clad in red sandstone and framed with marble inlay. Tahkhana also has a series of arches that open up into a gallery of rooms, that are connected by a narrow corridor. Unfortunately the inside of these rooms is now closed off.

The Chameli farsh has a slight incline, towards this river, and according to some historians this may be increasing. Though this is an inevitable consequence of constructing a building of this size, it also raises some concerns about the stability of Taj in the future.

Taj Mahal at dawn

A popular myth is that Shah Jahan had planned on building an identical monument in black marble on the opposite bank of the Yamuna. Before he could do so, he was deposed by his son, Aurangzeb. Wouldn't that have contrasted particularly well with this luminescent Taj at dawn? In this photo you can see the early morning soft light as it touches the cool marble.