Fact Check: Taj Mahal is monument of love, not Hindu temple `Tejo Mahalaya'
Taj Mahal is actually `Lord Shiva Temple’, is viral on social media. Quoting Professor PN Oak’s book, users claim its actual name `Tejo Mahalaya’.
By Tejal Sinha Published on 21 Jun 2021 10:41 AM IST
Hyderabad: A post claiming that Taj Mahal is actually `Lord Shiva Temple', is viral on social media. Quoting Professor PN Oak's book, users claim its actual name `Tejo Mahalaya'.
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Fact Check
The claim is False.
While doing the research, NewsMeter found many reports which made us understand that this claim has been doing rounds since 2017.
While doing the Keyword search, we found reports by The Guardian, Outlook, and Indian Express which were published in 2017 and 2020 respectively. According to the reports, government archaeologists rejected the claim that the structure was built by Hindus and that they should be allowed to worship.
The report by The Guardian had quoted Parsa Venkateshwar Rao, an author, and columnist. "This claim about the Taj is absurd because features such as the dome and minaret cannot be found in earlier periods and it is silly for the judge to have even allowed the petition," he said
Oak, who died in 2007, approached the Supreme Court in 2000, but his plea was thrown out as no more than a `bee in his bonnet', the report said.
A report by India Today published on February 21, 2018 stated that the Archaeological Survey of India told a court that the mausoleum was built by Shah Jahan, the Mughal emperor, for his wife and the claims that the Taj Mahal was actually a Shiva temple 'Tejo Mahalay' are imaginary.
Evidently, the claim made through the viral post is False. There is no evidence to prove that the Taj Mahal was a Hindu temple. Archaeological Survey of India had clearly debunked this claim.
