Part of a series commemorating UNESCO World Heritage Sites, this issue marks the Taj Mahal complex at Agra — a site that nearly didn't survive the 20th century intact. In the 1830s, Governor-General William Bentinck seriously considered demolishing the Taj Mahal and auctioning its marble to British merchants, a plan abandoned only when an initial auction of Agra Fort fittings failed to attract sufficient buyers.
Part of a series commemorating UNESCO World Heritage Sites, this issue marks the Taj Mahal complex at Agra — a site that nearly didn't survive the 20th century intact. In the 1830s, Governor-General William Bentinck seriously considered demolishing the Taj Mahal and auctioning its marble to British merchants, a plan abandoned only when an initial auction of Agra Fort fittings failed to attract sufficient buyers.