Is Taj Mahal really a Shiva temple? CIC seeks to know
“Oak claiming himself to be a historian not only wrote a book but also approached Supreme Court in 2000 to declare Taj Mahal as Shiva Temple.
Is the Taj Mahal mausoleum built by Shahjahan or a Shiva temple gifted to the Mughal emperor by a Rajput king, the Central Information Commission has sought to know.
The question, forwarded as an alternative narrative of history by some claiming to be historians and the subject of various court cases, reached the CIC through an RTI plea and is now at the culture ministry's door.
In a recent order, Information Commissioner Sridhar Acharyulu said the ministry should put to rest the controversy and clarify doubts about the history of the white marbled mausoleum, considered one of the wonders of the world.
Acharyulu recommended that the ministry give information on its stand on the cases related to the provenance of the Taj Mahal, and on the frequent claims based on historian P N Oak and advocate Yogesh Saxena's writings.
He noted that some cases in courts, including the Supreme Court, were dismissed while some were pending.
Acharyulu said the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), being a party in some cases, must be holding the counters (affidavits) filed on its behalf and by the culture
"The Commission directs the Archaeological Survey of India to share those copies with the appellant at additional fee constituting the cost of copying, before August 30, 2017," he said.
The
CIC
was
pulled
into
the
debate
after
an
applicant,
B
K
S
R
Ayyangar,
approached
the
ASI
through
an
RTI
application
asking
whether
the
monument
in
Agra
was
the
Taj
Mahal
or
"Tejo
Mahalaya".
"Many
people
stating
that
Taj
Mahal
is
not
Taj
Mahal
and
it
is
Tejo
Mahalaya:
that
this
was
not
constructed
by
Shahjahan,
but
was
gifted
by
Raja
Maan
Singh;
hence
give
the
facts
as
per
ASI
reports-details
with
evidences,"
he
asked.
The ASI told him no such record was available with it.
Among other records, Ayyangar also demanded "construction details" of the 17th century monument, including its rooms, hidden rooms and the rooms closed to him citing security reasons.
Acharyulu noted what he expected from his RTI application was research and investigation into the history of the Taj Mahal, which is beyond the purview of the RTI Act and ASI.
"It is unreasonable to ask for opening of closed rooms, bringing out hidden things, and for excavations underneath the protected monument of Taj Mahal and rewriting the history under an RTI application," he said.
"Before Taj Mahal was declared as such protected monument, people should have filed their objections. Those who wanted Taj Mahal to be declared as Tejo Mahalaya should have filed objections," he stated in his order.
The information commissioner added that ASI had to inform the appellant whether any excavations were done in the protected site of the Taj Mahal and, if so, what was discovered.
"Decision regarding excavation has to be taken by the concerned competent authority and Commission cannot give directions to excavate or open the hidden or closed rooms in Taj Mahal," he said.
Oak had written a book "Taj Mahal: The True Story", arguing that Taj Mahal was originally a Shiva temple built by a Rajput King which was adopted by Shahjahan, he noted.
"Oak claiming himself to be a historian not only wrote a book but also approached Supreme Court in 2000 to declare Taj Mahal as Shiva Temple. However, Supreme Court reprimanded him for having 'a bee in his bonnet' about the Taj Mahal," the information commissioner said.
Acharyulu cited a petition, seeking removal of ASI notices that the Taj Mahal was a Mughal structure, filed before the Allahabad High Court.
PTI