UP Govt to fulfil Emperor's wish

Vijay Upadhyay
AGRA. Legend has it that Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan never really intended to be buried alongside his beloved queen Mumtaz Mahal.
 Instead, after the construction of the Taj Mahal, he wanted to get another mausoleum constructed for himself across the Yamuna river, in black marble. These two
monuments were then supposed to be joined by a marble or silver bridge, though the confinement and death of the emperor in the hands of his son resulted in the end of this project.
Historians attribute the authenticity of this legend to the asymmetrical layout of the emperor and his queen's cenotaphs inside the Taj.
Among the numerous stories prevalent to justify the construction of the Mehtab Bagh by the emperor behind the Taj Mahal, across Yamuna.
This story holds a ring of veracity, though the exact location of the black Taj is yet to be verified by the Archaeological Survey of India, which is conducting extensive excavations in the Mehtab Bagh.
While Shahjahan may not have lived to see the bridge crossing Yamuna for himself, the UP Government is all set to realize the emperor's dream in the 350th year of Taj's construction by commissioning the construction of a bridge joining the Taj with its "southern extension". However, instead of marble, the bridge is to be constructed in steel.
The decision on the construction of this bridge to bring Mehtab Bagh into the mainstream of tourism was made in a high-level meeting of the UP and Central Tourism officials recently and the final decision in this regard shall be made by the UP Chief Secretary Neera Yadav, who will send this proposal to the Central Government for approval and funds.
According to the UP tourism sources, the bridge shall be constructed by the UP Bridge Corporation Limited. Care shall be taken to ensure that the elevation of the bridge does not adversely affect the view of the Taj, while allowing for boats to pass below the bridge. This had not been possible in the earlier temporary versions of bridges constructed during various events held across the Yamuna.
Sources said that the bridge should be more of a walkway across the Yamuna designed to facilitate tourists in crossing the river, though the design of the bridge was yet to be finalised.
D K Burman, Joint Director, UP Tourism confirmed that a project to construct a permanent bridge across the Yamuna was indeed being contemplated by the UP Government though the assent of the Supreme Court was necessary before putting this plan into action.
He said that the exact location of the bridge was yet to be decided and the final decision on the site would only be made after detailed study on the bridge's effect on the panoramic view of the Taj and the environment of the area.
He said that in any case, the bridge that will be constructed on the Yamuna will be only for pedestrians and any type of vehicular movement would be completely restricted.

(UNITED NEWS NETWORK)
For any queries or feedback - univijay@rediffmail.com Ph: 9412282297

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