Glass artists blame Taj Mahal for impending end of their trade

Firozabad, Uttar Pradesh

HANUMAN Prasad Garg does not blame rising fuel prices or pressure from cheap knock-offs for the slow demise of the glass industry where Indian artisans have forged bangles for centuries. He blames the Taj Mahal.

The ancient glass quarter in Firozabad never recovered after authorities blamed smoke drifting from its furnaces for yellowing the Taj's magnificent white marble, threatening India's No 1 tourist attraction.

The artisans were banned from burning coal and forced to use costly gas to fuel their furnaces instead - and yet two decades on, the Taj is still losing its lustre. "Because of the Taj Mahal, the entire industry is suffering," said Mr Garg, president of a glass industry association i…