Storm damages minarets, dome at Taj Mahal gates

In a freak storm which saw winds with velocity of over 130 km per hour sweeping through Agra on Wednesday evening, stone minarets on the south and royal gates of the Taj Mahal were damaged.

According to sources, the incident occurred around 7.30pm when one of the minarets of the south gate fell off and one of the small white domes was hit too.

No official of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) was available for comment despite several attempts.


A 12-foot minaret with a metal finial, which is part of the main gate, also called Darwaza-e-rauza, was blown away by high-speed winds. It is from this royal gate that tourists get their first view of the 17th century Mughal-era monument.

In 2016, too, one of the minarets of Taj Mahal was reportedly damaged. While reports had suggested that the minarets might have been affected during cleaning work which was underway, the ASI had then blamed monkeys for weakening it.

Several electricity poles and trees were also uprooted in the storm which killed four in Mathura and one in Bijnor. Three children and a 70-yearold woman were killed in two separate incidents in the storm that was accompanied by heavy hailstones.