There is an old saying that the Taj Mahal is pinkish in the morning, milky white in the evening, and golden when the moon shines. When I visited this majestic structure back in 2010, it was evident that this no longer held true.
Considered one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, as chosen by people across the globe in 2000, the Taj's white marble has taken on a greenish-brown tint. Over the past 10 to 20 years, the discoloration of the Taj Mahal has accelerated due to a combination of rising pollution levels and burning trash. The government's failure to restore the marble monument hasn't helped the situation. In 2018, the people of India formed a petition demanding that the government either restore the Taj or demolish it. The activism and support to restore the Taj Mahal is rooted in the monument’s history and significance.
