The Supreme Court of India ordered the state of Uttar Pradesh remove a crematorium located near the Taj Mahal to protect the iconic moment of the smoke.
The court said Monday that the state can move or install an electric crematorium in place.
The judges acted in response to a letter sent by a judge of the Supreme Court that the white marble mausoleum was threatened by pollution smoke and ashes coming out of the crematorium.
Traditionally, the Hindus cremate their dead on pyres. The government has been trying to encourage citizens to use electricity fed crematoria.
The Taj Mahal was built in Agra city of the seventeenth century by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died during the birth of their fourteenth child.
The mausoleum is one of the most recognizable buildings in the world, visited by more than three million tourists per year. It is considered the finest example of Mughal art in India. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1983.
The pearly whiteness of the Taj Mahal has become yellow due to pollution. The government has closed scores of nearby factories and has tried to provide uninterrupted electricity in Agra so that residents do not have to appeal to the diesel powered generators.
A few months ago, the state government banned the burning of cow dung to prevent the thick smoke affects the mausoleum. This method is often used in rural areas as a cheap source of cooking and heating.
The state government plans to decide on the crematorium within 15 days. AP