Clay and Solvents Used to Clean Taj Mahal
Workers are using a new method involving clay mixed with solvents to clean the stained marble of the Taj Mahal.
The clay-pack technique is used to remove stains and yellowing caused by pollution and fumes from an oil refinery 28 miles northwest of the 17th-Century all-marble monument at Agra, 111 miles south of New Delhi.
L.P. Sahi, minister of state for culture and education, said that inert clay and non-toxic detergents are spread on the marble, and the yellowing film on the marble is absorbed by the clay after being washed away by the detergents.
He told Parliament that the method has been tried on a few sections of the Taj and will be extended to clean large surfaces.
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