"Yes, we are working on producing a volume or sort of a folio in large-format which will be a collection of old black-and-white photographs, paintings and other visual materials archived at the ASI.
"The idea is to put together the scattered visual works into one comprehensive folio, given the allure Taj exercises on people's consciousness," Superintending Archaeologist of ASI Agra Circle Bhuvan Vikram told PTI.
Archaeological Survey of India was constituted in 1861 and Agra Circle (then Northern Circle) is one of the oldest branches of ASI, formed in 1885.
The marble marvel draws on an average 25,000 tourists a day, with its peak season falling from October to February. On a holiday, sometimes it reaches 45,000 also, the ASI said.
"We realised that we had a wealth of material on the Taj and they ranged from old photographs to sepia-toned images and beautiful painting and lithographs which hasn't been ever compiled in a comprehensive whole. And, though we have started the work on it, we don't know how long would it take to finish it, as we are occupied with our primary work of excavation and conservation," Vikram said.
In 1983, it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was cited as "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage".
The Mughal-era architectural wonder took nearly 20 years in the making and has been celebrated by artists, writers, poets, photographers, filmmakers, and many others through their works.
Google in collaboration with the Centre, while putting up several monuments online with a 360-degree panoramic view, chose the Taj Mahal as the first specimen.
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