Taj Mahal, in a decadent city
The Taj Mahal is one of the seven wonders of the world; every visiting dignitary to the country makes it a point to be photographed in front of the beauteous monument. Recently it garnered the `voter's choice' award among Asian destinations at the Asian Attractions Expo (AAE) 2010, held in Kuala Lumpur. It is the face of Incredible India.
But all's not well with the city that locates three heritage monuments - the Taj Mahal, Fatehpur Sikri and the Red Fort. From being the cynosure of eyes to becoming an eyesore, Agra is in the grip of a decline. The past few years has seen a severe dip in tourist inflow into Uttar Pradesh. Both domestic and global tourists have started veering towards destinations in south India and Rajasthan.
The reasons are not difficult to find. Despite being a pilgrimage of love, the city has become a virtual nightmare city with a stinking Yamuna, its lifeline, and almost no basic infrastructures like drinking water and a workable drainage system. Even proper roads and cleanliness appear a far cry for the city, which clocks around 15,000 tourist footfalls daily and generates revenue of Rs 60 crore a year.
However, with the XIX Delhi Commonwealth Games about a couple of months away, the prima donna of Indian tourism is now being decked up to attract the onslaught tourists that the big event is expected to trigger. In anticipation, a never-seen-before development spree has been launched not only in the host city but also in the other points in the Delhi-Agra-Jaipur golden triangle.
Image: A view of the Taj Mahal in Agra
Text and Images: M Upasana/IBNS
