HISTORY OF TAJ MAHAL
Soon after Taj Mahal's completion, Shah Jahan was deposed and put under house
arrest at nearby Agra Fort by his son Aurangzeb. Legend has it that he spent the
remainder of his days gazing at the Taj Mahal. Upon Shah Jahan's death,
Aurangzeb buried him in the Taj Mahal next to his wife. By late 19th century,
parts of Taj Mahal had fallen badly into disrepair.
Protective wartime scaffoldingDuring the time of Indian rebellion of 1857, Taj
Mahal faced defacement by British soldiers and government officials, who
chiseled out precious stones and lapis lazuli from its walls. At the end of 19th
century British viceroy Lord Curzon ordered a massive restoration project,
completed in 1908. He also commissioned the large lamp in interior chamber,
modelled based on one in a Cairo mosque. It was during this time the garden was
remodelled with British looking lawns that are visible today.
In 1942, the government erected a scaffolding in anticipation of an air attack
by German Luftwaffe and later by Japanese Air Force. During the India-Pakistan
wars of 1965 and 1971, scaffoldings were erected to mislead bomber pilots. Its
recent threats came from environmental pollution on the banks of Yamuna River
including acid rain due to Mathura oil refinery, which was opposed by Supreme
Court of India directives. In 1983, Taj Mahal was designated a UNESCO World
Heritage Site.