With the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) finally filing an affidavit in an Agra court declaring the Taj Mahal as the tomb of Emperor Shah Jahan and his wife Mumtaz Mahal, the controversy over the Taj Mahal's alleged past as a Shiva temple is expected to finally come to an end.



Filing the affidavit in the local court in the case filed by advocate Rajesh Kulshreshtha, the ASI advocate Anjani Sharma said that the Taj Mahal had been constructed by emperor Shah Jahan in the memory of his deceased wife Mumtaz.



Sharma went on to add that whatever 'evidence' has been presented in support of the claims that the Taj Mahal was actually a Shiva temple 'tejomahalay' was imaginary.



Sharma also said that the Supreme Court has already decided what parts of the Taj Mahal are to be opened for tourists and what should be closed, so there was no need for a review of this matter.



According to an ASI official, this entire controversy appears to have originated from a book written by self-styled historian PN Oak which presents so-called evidence about the Taj Mahal's Hindu origins.



Ever since the publication of the book, this controversy raises its head time and again. It doesn't help that political leaders and ministers give irresponsible statements in its support, further fuelling the fire.



This was probably the reason that half-dozen advocates of Lucknow filed a civil suit in the Agra court demanding that the Taj Mahal's origins as a temple be accepted and be declared as a 'tejomahalay'.



The Shiv Sena also routinely holds aarti of Lord Shiva at the Dusshera Ghat beside the Taj Mahal and several Hindu organisations have staged demonstrations inside and outside the Taj demanding that the regular namaaz at the mosque inside the Taj be stopped as it is a Hindu temple.



Senior advocate Ameer Ahmed told India Today that previously in 2005, the ASI also contested the UP Sunni Central Waqf Board's claim on the Taj Mahal.



He said that in the civil suit, the petitioners have demanded that the Taj Mahal be renamed as 'tejomahalay' which is its real name. The petition also demands that the closed parts of the monument be reopened to reveal the truth and everything be documented.



Talking to India Today, Agra Tourist Welfare Chamber president Prahalad Agarwal said that the Taj Mahal is a world heritage monument and it should not be made the centre of unnecessary disputes that could harm the image of the country in the world community.



Likening this controversy to the demolition of the statues of Buddha in Afghanistan, he said that the Taj Mahal is part of India's history and has become a symbol of the nation.

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