Violent winds topple stone pillars at Taj Mahal complex

A violent storm has destroyed two ancient pillars at the entryways to the Taj Mahal, an official said Thursday, underscoring the fragility of the centuries-old marble monument to love, reports AFP from Agra. The four-metre high sandstone minarets topped by ornate spires were left in chunks after being felled by strong winds late Wednesday. "Two decorative pillars collapsed last night amid high-velocity winds. One of the pillars stood at the royal gate, and the other at the southern gate," an official from the Archaeological Survey of India told AFP. None of the four white marble minarets surrounding the Taj -- or the spectacular shimmering mausoleum itself -- were damaged in the storm, authorities said.

Violent winds topple stone pillars at Taj Mahal complex

A violent storm has destroyed two ancient pillars at the entryways to the Taj Mahal, an official said Thursday, underscoring the fragility of the centuries-old marble monument to love, reports AFP from Agra. The four-metre high sandstone minarets topped by ornate spires were left in chunks after being felled by strong winds late Wednesday. Two decorative pillars collapsed last night amid high-velocity winds. One of the pillars stood at the royal gate, and the other at the southern gate, an official from the Archaeological Survey of India told AFP. None of the four white marble minarets surrounding the Taj -- or the spectacular shimmering mausoleum itself -- were damaged in the storm, authorities said.