When we first met him in a function of his book release, we were immediately impressed by his straight-forward approach and his simple ways. Instead of bureaucrats and politicians, we found the sarpanchs, eldermen and other grassroot workers from villages from all over India sharing limelight and being given their due credit for the successful rainwater harvesting programs being executed in their village. This was Anil Agarwal.
With his passing away earlier this year, the country has lost one of the most dedicated activists in the field of environment. Through his magazine Down to Earth, he brought the environmental concerns within the understanding of the common man. He was very encouraging about our efforts to start this journal. Anil shall always be a source of inspiration for all of us.
Taj Mahal, the landmark of Mughal architecture in Agra and one of the most photographed monuments of the world was listed as a World Heritage Site in Oct’98. This issue features a comprehensive brief of the proposal of University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, USA. James Wescoat and Ebba Koch, international experts in Mughal art and architecture share their views about the development of surrounding Mughal gardens of Taj.
A brief interaction with Prof. Nalini Thakur sheds light on some of the main issues regarding conservation in India.