TAJ MAHAL NOT A TEMPLE: ASI TELLS COURT
AGRA: The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has told a local court here that Taj Mahal is not a temple but a tomb. In a written statement filed in the court of civil judge (senior division) here on Thursday, the ASI denied to accept Taj Mahal as a Lord Shiva temple (Tejo Mahalaya) as claimed by the petitioners. The court has fixed the next hearing on September 11.
AGRA: The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has told a local court here that Taj Mahal is not a temple, but a tomb.
In a written statement filed in the court of civil judge (senior division) here on Thursday, the ASI denied to accept Taj Mahal as a Lord Shiva temple (Tejo mahalaya) as claimed by the petitioners.
The court has fixed the next hearing on September 11.
In April 2015, the Agra district court had admitted a suit filed by six lawyers that the Taj Mahal is a Lord Shiva temple (Tejo Mahalaya) and Hindu devotees should be allowed access inside the premises.
The court had issued notices to the central government, Union ministry of culture, home secretary and ASI to file their replies.
They pleaded the court to allow Hindu devotees to perform ‘darshan’ and ‘aarti’ within the monument. They also asked for opening the locked rooms in the monument.
The counsel for the Union of India and Archaeological Survey of India appeared in the case on Thursday and filed a reply. The jurisdiction of the court in Agra was challenged in the reply which also stated that the petitioners had no locus standi in the matter. Neither did they have the right to worship or perform any other religious rituals as the monument was Islamic.
In its reply, the ASI also denied the existence of any temple within the Taj Mahal. On the basis of available records, the ASI asserted that Taj Mahal was constructed by Shah Jahan in the memory of his queen.
The ASI termed the petitioners’ claim as baseless and denied that the property was usurped by Shah Jahan. On the basis of documents, the ASI asserted that the property in the suit was not usurped but was obtained in exchange from Raja Jai Singh.