Analysis of Taj Mahal: Preservation, Conservation, and Heritage Value

This essay explores the significance of the Taj Mahal as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, detailing its historical context, cultural importance, and the necessity for its preservation. Built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, the Taj Mahal attracts a large number of tourists and contributes significantly to the Indian economy. The essay discusses the criteria for UNESCO World Heritage designation, the benefits of such recognition, and the negative impacts associated with tourism and commercialization. Recommendations are provided for improving conservation efforts, managing tourist flow, and mitigating environmental impacts to ensure the Taj Mahal's legacy for future generations. Desklib offers a range of resources, including past papers and solved assignments, to aid students in their studies.

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Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
Heritage sites are the places which have unique characteristics in its presence and can be either
natural or cultural. World heritage sites are a great source of tourism as it attracts large number
of tourists. UNECSO prepares the list of these sites and named them world heritage sites. The
essay will be on Taj Mahal and it will also be discussed how to protect and conserve this heritage
site. This essay will also address the importance of these world heritage sites and discuss about
the methods for preserving the Taj Mahal(Adie, 2019). The need for maintaining the value of
these heritage sites by the modern society will also be discussed in the essay. The
recommendations is also given for reducing the effect of these negative impacts.
MAIN BODY
Taj Mahal was built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife during the
year 1631-1653. It is located on the banks of river Yamuna in Agra, Uttar Pradesh. The concept
of world heritage site started in early 1900s. UNESCO was the first organisation which recognise
the need of conserving these sites so that the future generation can also experience the greatness.
There were many countries which also took interest in the convention. It was finally adopted by
the world in the year 1972 and was effective from 1975. These world heritage sites are divided
into three categories by UNESCO(Cigna, Tapete and Lee, 2018). These are cultural, natural and
mixed. Cultural sites can be defined as those sites which possess cultural monuments, sculptures
and various historical buildings. Famous examples of cultural sites are Agra Fort, Ajanta Caves
and Archaeological site of Nalanda, Bihar. Natural sites are the those which involves social or
natural significance in the nature. Popular heritage sites are Keoladeo national park, Kaziranga
national park and Sunderbans national park. Mixed heritage sites include the features of cultural
and natural sites. The example of mixed world heritage sites are Machu Picchu, Tikal and Ibiza.
There is only one mixed site in the india which is Khangchendzonga National Park which is
present in Sikkim. For getting the site in world heritage list, there is a very long process which is
to be followed by the management and administration of these sites. The criteria for applying is
applicable on only those countries which have signed the convention. These countries only can
make a nomination proposal in regard to any site. The first step is preparation of tentative list
which includes making a list of the heritage sites present in the country by various committees.
Then this nomination file is submitted to the authorities of world heritage centre. The authorities

checks the file and give advice to the administration of the sites to produce all the essential
documents as soon as possible. There are various advisory bodies involved in the process of
selection and checking. If the site fulfils any one of the criteria out of the ten which are given,
then the site will be named a world heritage site. Lastly the status of a world heritage site is given
to the site which is selected by the selection department(Larsen and Logan, 2018).
Taj Mahal is considered one of the most beautiful monuments in the modern world. It
signifies greatness of love of a husband and wife. It builds a connection between the people and
place. It is located on the banks of river Yamuna in Agra, Uttar Pradesh. Taj Mahal attracts a
large number of tourists from all over the world because of its uniqueness. It draws about 70,000
visitors on a daily basis which is a very huge number in context to a monument. It is very
essential for the development and growth of the economy. It also provides essential information
about the history and culture of the ancient times. The tourists can get an idea of the richness of
Indian culture and value the tradition more than earlier. Taj Mahal brings the people from all
over the country together. It is very essential to preserve these sites in order to maintain diversity
in the culture and heritage. It also encourage the current society to give importance to the Indian
culture and gain some useful knowledge about this incredible monument. There are various
benefits for a place which is declared as a world heritage site by the UNESCO. Taj Mahal enjoys
the benefit of popularity since now many people recognises this heritage site. The site gets a
status which helps in bringing new economic benefits. Taj Mahal receives funding from various
financial institutions for its maintenance and administration(Seyfi, MichaelHall and Fagnoni,
2019). This fund is used in preserving and conserving the area of Taj Mahal. The heritage site
also gets the access to global project management resources which is very essential in
administration and management of the site. It also provides economic stability to the nearby
areas of the monument. Taj Mahal also receives the benefit of getting protection during a war. It
comes under the Geneva convention when the site is declared a world heritage site. The problem
of unemployment can be reduced to a certain extent in maintenance of the site. Many workers
and staff are involved in conserving and maintaining the value of the monument. The recycling
of resources is another benefit of preserving the Taj Mahal(Buckley, 2018) . It portrays a positive
image of India in the whole world which is very essential in maintaining harmony and peace
between the countries. Every citizen of India and each tourist should take responsibility to give
his contribution in the preservation and conservation of Taj Mahal.

Taj Mahal has various negative effects as well on the environment which needs to be
addressed. These effects directly impact a large section of society since it is related to tourism
sector of the country. The increased number of people and tourists have increased the crime rate
in the nearby areas. There are large number of markets and shops near Taj Mahal which is
creating stagnancy in the development near the area of the monument. The pollution level has
also enhanced which is causing various problems for the society. Large amount of funds are
required in order to preserve and maintain the value of Taj Mahal. The other monuments are not
given the required attention since this site is named a world heritage site. The conservation of
this historical site requires establishment of various archaeological centres which is a very
complex process. One of the most adverse effect is international money enters the economy
through the foreign tourists. It indirectly involve money laundering which is a great concern for
the government. Another negative impact of Taj Mahal is over commercialisation which
involves providing the tourists with freedom to explore the monument. It is very essential to
draw a line for the visitors in order to maintain the value and culture of the heritage site. The
government should try to build a new dam in order to restore the flow of water to the Yamuna
river. The local sewage treatments plant needs to be improved in order to reduce the pollution
level from the monument(Thongdejsri and Nitivattananon, 2019). There should be more
systematic approach in the preservation of the Taj Mahal. The information which the
management of the site wants to give should be properly explained to give tourists idea of the
richness of culture and heritage of India. There should be a limit on the number of tourists who
are coming to visit the Taj Mahal. The price of the ticket should also be hiked in order to attract
the sensible visitors. This amazing wonder is very essential to the history of India and it
represents the symbol of love in the modern era. All these recommendations should be analysed
by the government and other authorities and essential steps should be taken to minimise the
negative effects of the heritage site.

CONCLUSION
It can be concluded from the above report that world heritage sites are very important for
the tourism sector of the country. Taj Mahal should be preserved so that the future generations
can also experience the culture of this amazing monument. It is a very essential source of income
for the economy. The modern society should do all the possible efforts in order to maintain the
value of this site. Every citizen and tourist has to take full responsibility for properly giving their
contribution in the conservation of the Taj Mahal. The government should introduce various laws
and regulations in order to preserve this heritage site. The government should take strict actions
for maintaining the value of this monument. It is very important to aware the individuals about
their duties in order to collectively achieve the target of the nation.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Adie, B.A., 2019. World Heritage and tourism: Marketing and management. Routledge.
Buckley, R., 2018. Tourism and natural World Heritage: A complicated relationship. Journal of
Travel Research, 57(5), pp.563-578.
Cigna, F., Tapete, D. and Lee, K., 2018. Geological hazards in the UNESCO World Heritage
sites of the UK: From the global to the local scale perspective. Earth-Science
Reviews, 176, pp.166-194.
Larsen, P.B. and Logan, W., 2018. World Heritage and Sustainable Developement. New
Directions in World Heritage Management; Routledge: London, UK.
Seyfi, S., Michael Hall, C. and Fagnoni, E., 2019. Managing world heritage site stakeholders: A
grounded theory paradigm model approach. Journal of Heritage Tourism, 14(4),
pp.308-324.
Thongdejsri, M. and Nitivattananon, V., 2019. Assessing impacts of implementing low-carbon
tourism program for sustainable tourism in a world heritage city. Tourism Review.