Why is the Taj Mahal crumbling?

This famous site is falling into disrepair – is mismanagement to blame, or are there political motivations at play?

Photo collage of the Taj Mahal reflected in Yamuna river. The reflection is dilapidated and crumbling.
(Image credit: Illustration by Julia Wytrazek / Getty Images)

Cracks in the marble façade of the Taj Mahal are fuelling claims that the Indian government is choosing to look the other way as the much-loved monument crumbles.

The Taj Mahal is a Unesco World Heritage site and international symbol of India. But the marble mausoleum in Uttar Pradesh has "long been a source of political point-scoring", said The Times, and there are suggestions that Hindu nationalism could be contributing to its declining health.

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