India limits visitors to Taj Mahal to 40,000 per day in attempt to protect marble from wear and tear
Nearly 6.5 million people visited the monument in 2016, according to government figures
India is to restrict the number of daily visitors to the Taj Mahal in an attempt to preserve the iconic 17th-century monument to love, its biggest tourist attraction.
Millions of mostly Indian tourists visit the Taj Mahal every year and their numbers are increasing steadily as domestic travel becomes easier.
Experts say the vast crowds increase wear and tear on the white marble tomb, which already must undergo regular cleaning to stop it turning yellow from polluted air, and could put pressure on its foundations.
In future only 40,000 local tourists will be allowed to enter the historic complex per day, authorities said Wednesday.
“We have to ensure the safety of the monument and visitors as well. Crowd management was emerging as a big challenge for us,” said an official with the Archaeological Survey of India which controls the monument, on condition of anonymity.
