TAJ MAHAL: BEYOND THE LOVE STORY

Taj Mahal is celebrated world wide for its beauty and architectural splendor. In 1998, when its marble started corroding due to increasing air pollution, hundreds of factories around the Taj were ordered by the Supreme Court to shut down. This directive brought a new lease of life to the monument. But far removed from the glory of the Taj, Agra is a city struggling to find a balance between rapid urbanization and its degrading environment. Water and air pollution, waste mismanagement, illegal constructions are only few of Agra's many environmental woes. Despite numerous orders from the courts to deal with these issues, the bureaucracy of the city seems largely disinterested to take action. The film Taj Mahal...beyond a love story brings out a harsh irony. On the one hand, much has been done to restore the dazzling grandeur of the Taj, while on the other; the city itself is crumbling under relentless degradation.