29/10/2024
Agra, India, 1942– At the Taj Mahal, American soldiers gather around a marble-lined pool as one attempts to catch a goldfish, drawing the attention and amusement of his fellow servicemen.
Amid World War II’s global turmoil, the Taj Mahal faced a unique kind of wartime measure. Concerned that the monument’s gleaming white marble would attract attention from enemy aircraft, the authorities took drastic steps to safeguard it. They built an intricate scaffolding structure over the Taj, layering it with bamboo and mud-colored netting to disguise it as an ordinary part of the landscape when viewed from the sky.
The Taj Mahal, under this protective camouflage, appeared less like the grand, ethereal landmark it was, and more like a hidden relic of another world. Yet, even in this altered state, the monument captivated American soldiers stationed in Agra.
