Workers are slinging mud at India’s most famous monument—for a good cause. They are covering the Taj Mahal’s central dome with a special clay to help restore its pearly white sheen. 

The marble monument was built in the 17th century as a burial place for the wife of an emperor. Its beauty is legendary, but air pollution has stained it yellow, brown, and even black over the past half century. 

Workers have performed the mud treatment on other parts of the Taj Mahal, but this is the main dome’s first makeover. Indian officials hope to finish the work within six months. They say now is the best time to get it done, since tourism is slow because of the Covid-19 pandemic.