Shah Jahan captured Hindu palace to build Taj Mahal, says BJP MP
Jaipur (Rajasthan), May 11: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Diya Kumari on Wednesday claimed that the land on which the Taj Mahal is built in Agra belonged to the Jaipur royal family and there used to be a palace that was captured by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan.
"As per documents with us, property (Taj Mahal) on that land was a palace. Shah Jahan captured it during his rule. The land belonged to Jaipur royal family (erstwhile) and we have got the documents that it belonged to us," Kumari said.
"Documents say that since Shah Jahan liked it so he acquired it. I have heard that he gave some compensation in lieu of it. If the court directs we will provide the documents," she added.
The remarks from Lok Sabha MP from Rajsamand come at a time when a plea was filed earlier this month in the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court seeking the directions to the Archaeological Survey of India to probe the 22 closed doors in the Taj Mahal to ascertain the presence of the idols of Hindu deities.
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The petition demanded that a fact-finding committee be formed and that the Archaeological Survey of India submit a report. The idols of Hindu deities are alleged to be locked up behind closed doors, according to the petition.
The Taj Mahal was built as a tomb for Shah Jahan's wife Mumtaz by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. The marble monument's construction began in 1632 and was completed 22 years later in 1653.
In 1982, the architectural masterpiece was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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-PTC News
