The Taj Mahal was shrouded by a blanket of smog as air pollution levels soared in northern India.

Footage captured on November 6 shows the mausoleum located in Uttar Pradesh barely visible through the haze.

The PM2.5 concentration in Agra on Monday morning was said to be 6.5 times above the recommended limit given by the World Health Organization's (WHO) air quality guidelines value.

Meanwhile, the air quality in Delhi, which is about 240 kilometres from Agra, remained severely polluted for the fifth consecutive day on Monday morning with the AQI still in the "severe" category.

With North India battling air pollution, a thick layer of smog engulfed Agra and its iconic monument Taj Mahal on Monday. The 17th-century mausoleum, which draws millions of tourists from across the world, was barely visible under the thick layer of smog, videos posted online showed

In Agra, the air quality index (AQI) around 11 am was pegged at 171, which falls under the "moderate" category.

The PM2.5 concentration in Agra on Monday morning was said to be 6.5 times above the recommended limit given by the World Health Organization's (WHO) air quality guidelines value.

Meanwhile, the air quality in Delhi, which is about 240 kilometres from Agra, remained severely polluted for the fifth consecutive day on Monday morning with the AQI still in the 'severe' category.

The national capital continued to battle the apocalyptical air pollution with the overall AQI being recorded at 488.
In view of the increasing air pollution levels, the Delhi government has shut schools up to class 5 till November 10. Schools up to classes 6-12 have also been advised to run online classes.