India: Agra and sights—Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, Fatehpur Sikri
Score: 56

"Tourism was overwhelming, but once you emerged from the dark entry corridor, the building was pure magic—incredibly preserved and the detailed marblework was well-polished and maintained.The sunset on the white marble is a vision no camera has yet truly captured."

"The city of Agra has been in economic decline following the supreme court judgment closing all polluting industry which could damage the Taj. Court orders to upgrade infrastructure have failed and the local community resents India's most valued heritage. The environment is degraded, and even though there is a green belt of 500 meters around the Taj Mahal, there is no attraction in the city to encourage tourists to stay.Overcrowding and uncontrolled guides, touts, and heavy-handed security agencies make a visit to one of the most beautiful sites in the world a harrowing experience."

"Fatehpur Sikri is a fascinating place and deserves greater recognition and resources. However, much of its charm rests on the fact that it is still in use as a place of veneration and has a living cultural heritage. I am slightly worried about the sound and light show, and hope that it does not damage the peace and integrity of the place."

"Agra Fort is a mess of mismanagement.It has little value except as a Sunday picnic destination for local residents, who use the generous inside space as a football pitch. A constant issue: how to manage the site as a whole, using the river as a thread linking all three monuments.The unrestored gardens along the river opposite the Taj are an important heritage resource left undeveloped and unprotected. Master planning is needed, followed by vigorous implementation."

"The sites are relatively well-preserved but their meaning has been lost. Tourism in this region is controlled by tour operators from Delhi who absorb almost all economic benefits. As a result, these wonderful sites are surrounded by poverty. In turn, this poverty leads to hawking, corruption, crime etc., which has caused these attractions to feel like a private club for former colonial ruling elites."

India: Ellora and Ajanta Caves, and Aurangabad
Score: 67

"Ajanta is one of the most beautiful painted caves anywhere, and is reasonably well maintained. But Jalgaon, the closest town of any size, has nothing to offer. Ellora, with its magnificent Kailasa Temple, is in that way better, being closer to Aurangabad, which has plenty to offer both in things to see and places to stay and eat."

"The visitor experience there is better than it wasfive toten years ago. What is most lacking at the sites, however, is interpretation which links these and the many other Buddhist and Jain cave sites to the larger historic cultural landscape and the environment.Without this link, it is very difficult for a visitor who is not also an historian of early India to get a sense of what the function of these spectacular places was and why they were built in the first place."

"A big tourist destination. It has historical, cultural, and artistic importance, but has a maintenance problem. Tourists need guidelines as to how to view and not destroy the historical caves. The site has been neglected and requires careful evaluation to improve the area."

"Very high levels of technical expertise are being employed by the Archaeological Survey of India.There is a severe threat to the stability of the cliff faces above the cave entrances due to water penetration."

"The authentic Indian rurality in these caves and their surroundings is their selling point, though this is a difficult sell for the more touristically-inclined consumers!"