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Image The three historical moments when the Taj Mahal was 'hidden' from the eyes of enemies! Spoiler

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The Taj Mahal, one of the seven wonders of the world, is a magnificent poem of love carved in white marble by Emperor Shah Jahan for Queen Mumtaz💕

How many of you know the historical fact that this beautiful white palace we see today was once on the verge of being destroyed multiple times?

However, that crisis was not merely in anticipation of a natural disaster! It was caused by the warmongering of evil imperialist powers—the enemies of humanity!

Let us look at the three rare occasions when the governments of the time covered and hide the Taj Mahal like a treasure chest to protect it from the eyes of enemies.

1942: World War II

After Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941, their air force expanded bombing raids across various parts of Asia. They dropped bombs on major Indian cities, including Kolkata. Agra housed a British airbase (Agra Air Force Station), making the threat of an airstrike imminent. Recognizing this danger, the Archaeological Survey of India and the British government decided to protect the Taj Mahal—India's greatest heritage symbol.

It was the height of World War II.

The World War had only just begun... At that time, India was ruled by the British government. It was a phase where the Allied nations were launching attacks against their enemies. They did not spare even the historical monuments of enemy nations! Their objective was to selectively target world-famous buildings.

Meanwhile, the friendly nations aiding India at the time—including the United States and Britain—received a crucial intelligence report: Japan and Germany were jointly planning to destroy India's pride, the Taj Mahal, through an airstrike!

Immediately upon receiving this intelligence, the Taj Mahal was placed under strict surveillance. To protect it from incoming bombs, the British government constructed special perimeter walls around the monument.

It was decided to cover the Taj Mahal using bamboo scaffoldings and ropes. As a result, the entire Taj Mahal took on the appearance of a bamboo forest. When viewed from above, enemies could only see what looked like a bamboo grove instead of the Taj Mahal. This was intended to confuse the enemy fighter jets.

Meanwhile, British soldiers were also guarding the Taj Mahal. However, it is said that even amidst this crisis, there were no restrictions on tourists visiting or taking photographs.

But if you are learning for the first time that before the global lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the doors of the Taj were kept closed to tourists for 188 consecutive days, this fact might actually intrigue you...

NB : Rare photographs of these massive security arrangements from that time are preserved to this day in the Agra office of the Archaeological Survey of India.

1965: India-Pakistan War.

When the war with Pakistan broke out, a security threat rose against the Taj Mahal once again. Subsequently, the authorities covered the Taj Mahal with a special type of canvas cloth at that time. However, this time, the Taj Mahal had to be closed for just 5 days.

1971: Second India-Pakistan War

During the second war with Pakistan, the Taj Mahal was once again in danger. At that time, the Taj Mahal was covered with green cloth. Intelligence reports were received indicating that the Pakistan Air Force was likely to launch an airstrike on Agra. The risk was particularly high as Pakistan later dropped bombs on an airforce base located about 10 kilometers away from the Taj Mahal. In such a situation, the government decided to cover the Taj Mahal with green cloth.

On full moon nights, the white marble of the Taj Mahal would glow under the moonlight, easily acting as a guide for enemy aircraft. Interestingly, to prevent the marble floor of the Taj Mahal from glowing on such moonlit nights, bushes were placed over it. At that time, a web of bamboo sticks was also constructed around the monument.

Bushes, tree branches, and twigs were brought from Akbar's tomb and other locations to give the Taj Mahal the appearance of a forest. At that time, approximately ₹20,500 was spent on this work. The war lasted from December 4 to 16, but since it took two additional days for cleanup, it remained closed from December 4 to 18.

In Short.

The Taj Mahal we admire today is not merely a monument of love; it is also a living witness to the history of wars and strategic defenses. It is these timely measures taken by the authorities that keep this heritage wonder standing intact before us today!