When I was going through todays daily I came across a news about Taj Mahal. It was that the Archeological Survey of India have decided to beautify the monument.
That’s they are going to whiten it. And Multani Mitti is going to hit the walls of the love monument again. The same Multani Mitti, used by women to beautify themselves.
It’s the second time that the Archeological Survey of India is going to experiment with Multani pack. The first experiment was in 2002. They are planning to use this beauty pack once again to transform the marble from yellow to gleaming white.
Now some may wonder what this Multani Mitti is. Multani mitti means ‘mud from Multan’, an area now in Pakistan. The mud draws out the polluting sulphates and carbonates.
It was one of the earliest substances to ever be used as a beauty mask. It consists of a lime-rich clay from the far northwestern region of India to which is added rice bran and milk.
Although it is an effective clay for improving the facial complexion, it is also used to draw toxins from the skin of the entire body. Scientifically, it has been shown to be bacteriostatic against gram positive bacteria; it can even be administered internally in cases of poisoning to decrease the absorption of the harmful substance.Because of its high mineral content and moisturizing effect, it helps nourish the skin, nails, and hair.
This sticky brown mixture, used by women to beautify their skin, was smeared on the stained marble surfaces of the 17th-century Mogul tomb and washed off with warm water after 24 hours for the first time in 2002. The formula, based on a method discovered in a 16th century Mogul journal Ain-I-Akbary, has such restorative qualities.The archaeologists found that Multani mitti, drew black and yellow impurities from the Taj’s marble and left its surface gleaming white for the first time in decades.
However, this times upliftment work under the first phase would commence within six days, the Archeological Survey of India sources have informed. As many as Rs 7 lakh have already been approved for the treatment, the total cost of which would come around Rs 26 lakh. The treatment would last upto one year.
Once again the conservationists are not convinced about the usefulness and safety of treating the Taj Mahal with a mudpack for the second time in six years. Some oppose using ‘multani mitti’, as it is a bleaching agent while some say that the pores of the marble slabs would be opened because of the treatment, exposing the stones to environmental onslaughts.
Some questions that since multani is a bleaching agent, will it not make the monuments surface rough and uneven? Others point out that multani does not absorb dust particles and the problem at the Taj is high SPM (suspended particulate matter).
While one of the critics asks that ‘If the treatment was so good, why do they have to give it another one so soon?’ Whatever be the matter lets wait and hope to watch the Taj Mahal glowing once again.