Thunderstorms swept Agra on Friday night, damaging the structure of the iconic Taj Mahal.
According to reports, the marble railing of the main mausoleum and red stone railings suffered damage due to thunderstorms. Some trees, within the premises, were also uprooted.
In an interview, ASI Superintending Archaeologist Basant Kumar Swarnkar said:
Some trees on the premises were uprooted and one door was damaged. The false ceiling in the mausoleum was also uprooted.
He further added:
There has been damage to the ticket area at the western gate and frisking gates. Part of the marble railing at the back of the main mausoleum towards river Yamuna fell and two panels of red sandstone railings also suffered damage.
ASI, director general V Vidyavathi, rushed to the monument to assess the damage caused last night.
After proper inspection, it was concluded that repairing the damage would cost ASI around ₹20 lakh.
In order to repair the damage, marble and red stone will be brought from Rajasthan. The repair work is estimated to take a month.
Though, this is not the first time that the Taj Mahal has been damaged due to thunderstorms.
In 2018, during the month of April and May, minarets on the royal and south gates of Taj Mahal and the finial of the Shahi mosque were damaged during a storm.
In Agra, at least 3 people lost their lives due to thunderstorms. The district administration has announced ex gratia of ₹4 lakh for the kin of deceased.