India's ageing Taj Mahal gets a mud pack face-lift

Posted 02 16 2008 2:56AM

LUCKNOW, India (Reuters) - Indian archaeologists havestarted giving a face-lift to the centuries-old Taj Mahal byapplying a mud pack to the marble exteriors of the country'smost famous monument.

The aim of the mud pack is to restore the gleam to the17th-century architectural wonder in the northern city of Agra,about 200 km (125 miles) from the capital.

"The first phase of the mud packing will take about fivemonths," N.K. Samadia, an Archaeological Survey of Indiaofficial, said by telephone from Agra.

He said work started on the exterior on Wednesday. Afterthat, the mausoleum's interiors will be treated.

Last year, an Indian parliamentary committee said airborneparticles were being deposited on the monument's white marble,giving it a yellow tinge.

The mud pack will remain on the marble for about two orthree days and then peeled off.

"That would be followed by a distilled-water wash of thesurface to give the Taj a new look," Samadia said. The TajMajal received a similar mud pack treatment in 2002, he said.

The monument was built by Mughal emperor Shahjahan as asymbol of his love for his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal, aftershe died in childbirth.

It was built by an army of 20,000 stone masons, gemcutters, marble fitters and laborers who toiled for 22 years.It attracts millions of tourists every year.

The renovation will be done by a team of around 150 people.

(Reporting by Sharat Pradhan; Editing by Alistair Scrutton)