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On Wednesday, a British-era copper chandelier weighted 60 kgs crashed down at the main entrance of 17th century Taj Mahal. This incident has lead to the initiation of a probe into the matter, by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

The British-era copper chandelier, which is six-feet high and four-feet wide, was gifted by Lord Curzon. It was installed in 1905 at the Royal Gate of Taj Mahal.

According to sources, a probe was initiated over the chandelier crash down under ASI's superintending archaeologist Bhuvan Vikram. There is no official statement on how and why the chandelier fell down. But sources revealed that the incident could be a result of "aging and wear and tear".

Bhuvan Vikram Singh Agra ASI chief had said on Thursday that the decision on fixing the chandelier back wouild be taken only after the careful examination of its structure and current state.

Also read: India's Pride, Taj Mahal Under New Hazard

Ved Gautam, a tourist guide, said, "Luckily, there was no one around or else it would have resulted in a major tragedy.”
Meanwhile, it was accused by some tourist guides that it was the "gross negligence" of ASI officials, questioning their proficiency in handling the artifacts of the monument.

-Sumana