A video purportedly displaying the internal chamber of the Taj Mahal, together with the precise tombs of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan and his spouse Mumtaz Mahal, has gone viral, triggering debate over safety and public entry on the world-famous monument.
The clip, shared on Instagram by a well-liked account, seems to disclose a passageway resulting in the actual graves—an space lengthy closed to vacationers to protect the sanctity and construction of the Seventeenth-century mausoleum—because the Bollywood music ‘Jo Wada Kiya’ performs within the background. The footage rapidly gained traction on-line, drawing 1000’s of views and feedback, with many questioning how the person managed to enter the restricted part.
One person, Dipika PS (@lifewithdipika06), recalled: “I visited Taj Mahal round 1994-95 and this space was open to the general public at the moment.” One other person, Twinkle Sawant (@twinkle savant), added: “I’ve seen this too again within the day.” At current, guests are solely allowed to view the cenotaphs—symbolic replicas of the royal couple’s graves—whereas the unique tombs stay sealed off.
Heritage Consultants Alarmed
The video has unsettled conservationists, who warn that such breaches might endanger the monument’s preservation. The identification of the one who filmed it stays unknown, and the authenticity of the footage couldn’t be independently verified by Mint.
Tourism and Safety
The Taj Mahal stays India’s high vacationer attraction and one of many Archaeological Survey of India’s greatest income earners, producing ₹297 crore in ticket gross sales over 5 years, in accordance with official knowledge. In 2023-24 alone, its earnings far exceeded that of Delhi’s Qutub Minar and Purple Fort.
In mild of safety considerations, authorities have not too long ago deployed an anti-drone system on the web site. Assistant Commissioner of Police (Taj Safety) Syed Arib Ahmad confirmed that the system blocks drone alerts inside 200 metres of the primary dome, supplementing safety offered by CISF and Uttar Pradesh Police personnel.