New Delhi, India (EFE) – Heavy monsoon rains have flooded parts of the gardens surrounding India’s iconic Taj Mahal, one of the “New Seven Wonders of the Modern World,” while causing a minor leak in the monument’s central marble dome, officials said on Saturday.
Videos shared on social media platforms, including X, show water covering portions of the lawns surrounding the Mughal-era funerary monument in Agra.
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The Taj Mahal, built in the mid-17th century by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in honor of his wife Mumtaz Mahal, is India’s top tourist destination and one of the most photographed landmarks in the world.
In addition to the flooding, the monument’s central marble dome experienced a minor water leak due to the torrential rains, said Rajkumar Patel, Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in Agra.
However, the head archaeologist and researchers downplayed the incident, assuring that no damage occurred to the structure. “We have inspected the main dome using a drone camera,” Patel told the Indian news agency PTI.
The Taj Mahal, located on the banks of the Yamuna River, welcomes millions of foreign and domestic tourists each year, including over 800,000 international visitors.
The monsoon, which brings heavy seasonal rains across South and Southeast Asia, typically ends in September. EFE