Basic Principles Of Ayurveda
Mud from Multan ‘wipes’ The Taj clean
Archaeologists at the world-famous Taj Mahal in Agra have hit upon a plan to save the marble monument from industrial pollution: Multani mitti, an ancient face-pack recipe consisting of soil, cereal, milk and lime. The sticky brown mixture, once used by Indian women to beautify their skin, is smeared on the stained marble surfaces of the 17th-century Mogul tomb and washed off with warm water after 24 hours. The formula, based on a method discovered in a 16th century Mogul journal Ain-I-Akbary, has such restorative qualities that it is now being exported to Italy to clean grimy monuments there, a report in The Sunday Telegraph said. 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. Scientists from a Rome institute specializing in the study of building preservation traveled to Agra to see the process for themselves. They are said to be developing similar "face packs" to treat blackened marble statues in Rome and Florence, the report said. The mixture has so far been used to clean interiors of Taj Mahal as well as parts of the gateway and the four surrounding minarets. Work will soon start on the main structure's outer surfaces. The cost of cleaning the Taj will be less than 100,000 pounds, the report said quoting officials. "We have analyzed the marble and feel quite happy now that it is withstanding pollution," he said. "This breakthrough has attracted attention from other archaeologists looking for ways to preserve their monuments." Multani mitti means 'mud from Multan', an area now in Pakistan. The lime-rich clay was used for thousands of years as a face-pack until the bottled lotions burst on the scene. The mud draws out the polluting sulphates and carbonates.
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