Considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Taj Mahal, is known for the story of love it represents. Taj Mahal is a beautiful monument that is a “timeless testament” to the rich and diverse beauty of Indian history. Nevertheless, the story of 20 closed rooms on the secret floor beneath the marble platform of the Taj Mahal has remained a mystery.
20 rooms inside the Taj Mahal
A requisition has been filed in the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court pursuing directives to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to open 20 rooms inside the Taj Mahal in Agra to confirm whether the Hindu idols and inscriptions are hidden there.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) media in charge of Ayodhya district, Dr. Rajneesh Singh has filed the petition which is represented by advocate Rudra Vikram Singh.
“There is an old controversy related to the Taj Mahal. Around 20 rooms in the Taj Mahal are locked and no one is allowed to enter. It is believed that in these rooms there are idols of Hindu gods and scriptures. In the petition, I have demanded that the 22 doors of rooms of the monument which are closed should be opened to see the truth, whatever it is,” said Singh.
Taj Mahal was a Hindu temple?
It may be pointed out that several right-wing organizations claim the Taj Mahal to be a Hindu temple. In 2017, giving a new twist, senior BJP leader Vinay Katiyar said it was Lord Shiva’s temple called ‘Tejo Mahal’ which was converted into a mausoleum by Shahjahan.
“It was Tejo Mahal, Lord Shiva’s temple, where Shahjahan buried his wife and turned it into a mausoleum,” said, Katiyar who had been at the forefront of the Ram temple movement of Ayodhya. “It was constructed by Hindu kings, the rooms and carvings there prove that it was a Hindu monument… it has also been termed as one by historian PN Oak. Like a Shiva temple, water drips from the ceiling in the Taj Mahal, which is not the case in any mausoleum anywhere and is like that only on a Shivlinga. “It was a famous monument and was grabbed by Shahjahan,” Katiyar said.
Nevertheless, rejecting such claims, the Archeological Survey of India, in February 2018, filed an affidavit in an Agra court, citing that the Taj Mahal was indeed built as a tomb by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan who planned it to be a tomb and shrine for his Mumtaz Mahal.
