The Taj Mahal

Probably one of the first things that comes to mind when people think of India, other than the poverty, is the Taj Mahal. More than understandable. I had the opportunity of going there fairly recently, with friends. It simply took my breath away. But that is not what this particular post is about.

The entry fee for Indians is 20 rupees per head and foreigners its 750. That, to a certain extent is understandable; it is a beautiful source of money flow into India. So we have the Taj Mahal, our National heritage in Agra, which is by now one of the richest tourist spots in India. In the off-season, say about a 100 people (minimum number, I assure you) visit the Taj, the tourism department makes about 2000 bucks per day. This is just from Indians. And those who've been to the Taj will agree with me I'm sure, at least 10 foreigners can be seen there at any given time of the day, even in the off season. But I shall let it slide for now.

Well, those who visit Agra for the magnificent Taj also see the Agra fort, the palace where Mughal emperors like Jahangir, Shah Jahan and Aurangazeb lived. It is truly a feast for the eyes to witness the opulence and grandeur in which these people lived. I, for one, could literally visualize them walking along the beautiful corridors flanked by Gardens, fountains and intricately worked columns. One note of reality however kept jarring on this day dream of mine. It pained me to see it so badly maintained despite the huge influx of money from the tourism sector. In true "desi" style, the walls have been scribbled on; absolute rubbish, that makes me hang my head in shame when a foreigner smirks at it. Would the same Indian dare scribble like this on the statue of Liberty? I wonder. What is it that makes us respect another country and its heritage more than our own????

Another eye sore at the Agra Fort would be the moss and moulds present on so many of the walls and ceilings. Don't the politicians care at all? After all, these places are their meal ticket! The intricate work on the red stones and the marble has been masked by layers of dust and grime. I mean how expensive can getting a cleaner in be for Godness' sakes??? Or is it that the government is spending all the money on education for the poor or for medical facilities? Nope, that ain't the case either. The poverty is so goddamn evident. Just outside the Taj you can find little kids selling trinkets to passerbys, some even reciting shers, instead of being in school. This, to me, was the most heartbreaking of all.

So now we come to the most important question of all. Where, exactly, does all the money go? Besides this unaccounted for money, most of the shops outside the Agra Fort and Taj sell goods way higher than their M.R.Ps. On questioning, the shopkeepers are not able to produce proper documentation for this "inflation" in prices and imply that the cops will back them rather than us. More black money into the government workers pockets. Can nothing be done to question these practices???

If this is the condition in the most widely publicized and spotlight-ed place in India, is it any wonder that India is, after 60 years of independence still developing?