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One of the great attractions in Indian architecture is the marble marvel, popularly known as the Taaj Mahal. It was built by Mugal emperor Shaahjahaan in memory of his beloved wife Arjumand Baanu Begam, popularly known as Mumtaaz Mahal (unique to the Palace). Most visitors to this country are bound to visit this grand monument. Taaj Mahal has been admired universally since its construction in about 1631 AD.

Tejo Mahaalaya
PN Oak, a nationalist historian, has made a special study of the Taaj Mahal and has come out with a new thesis that it was originally a Shiv Temple called Tejo Mahaalaya. He has collected a mass of information from this point of view and has published a book titled "Taj Mahal: The True Story". It is not our intention here to speak for or against this view. Our main aim is to bring this view to the general readers who can take decision on their own.

Nowhere in any Muslim country a tomb is referred to as a Mahal. Several Europeans and Muslim writers refer to it as Taaj-e-Mahal because it was previously famous as Tej-o-Mahaalaya. As it was a temple, Shaahjahaan and Aurangazeb have avoided the use of the name and refer it as a holy tomb or grave.

The original inhabitants of Aagraa were the Jaat whose tutelary deity was Agreswar and they had built a temple for Agreshwar Ling at this place. The folk tales prevalent in the area state that Shaahjahaan requested King Jaya Sinh of Jayapur to give his Palace along with temple for building the proposed tomb for his wife. But the people of Jayapur requested the King not to accept the proposal of Shaahjahaan. Hence, Jaya Sinh refused and Shaahjahaan became furious and ordered his army to take over the Palace including the temple.

The Mugal army looted the Palace and took away gold, silver and precious stones. He converted the entire area into a sprawling garden and built a tomb as it is seen today. This is evidenced by a foreign visitor by name Albert Mandelso who visited Aagraa in 1638 (7 years after the death of Mumtaaz Mahal) who makes no mention of the Taaj Mahal which is purported to have been under construction from 1631 to 1653 AD.

Read all about this at  http://www.stephen-knapp.com/was_the_taj_mahal_a_vedic_temple.htm

Sanskrit Record
A Sanskrit inscription usually referred to as Bateshwar inscription (now in Lucknow Museum) describes the Shiv Temple which had a fine crystal Ling. It further states that this white marble Temple was so fine and beautiful that Shiv refused to go back to Mount Kailaash and wanted to settle here at Aagraa itself. This inscription is dated 1155 AD, centuries before the construction of the Taaj. It is said that Shaahjahaan got this stone inscription removed from the area of Taaj.

In one of the early reports of the Archaeological Survey of India (1874) there is a reference to a black stone pillar with its base and capital at the garden of the Taaj which obviously belonged to a Hindu Temple. An Englishman by name Thomas Twinning visited Aagraa in November 1794. He has recorded as follows:--

"I arrived at high walls which enclose Taaj Mahal and its circumcenter buildings. I got out and mounted a flight of steps leading to a beautiful portal which formed the centre of this side of the court of elephants as the area was called."

All these structures have been removed now. Obviously what this visitor referred to was the Palace area where there was an elephant stable (as we have in Hampee now). It is said that a piece of wooden doorway of the Taaj was subjected to Carbon-14 dating at an American Laboratory which showed that the wood belonged to 12th century. This also testifies to the fact that there was a Palace or temple before the construction of the Taaj.

Hindu Style
The great art historian EB Havel, who has made extensive research on Indian architecture, has pointed out that the ground plan of the Taaj is similar to Hindu style of Chatur-mukhaa and is similar to Chandee Sevu Temple in Jaavaa. In the precinct of the Taaj was found a building generally referred to as Nagaad-khaanaa or drum-house which suits well either to a Temple or a Palace but not to a solemn tomb.

Peter Mundy, who visited this place in 1632 (just one year after the death of Mumtaaz Mahal), records that he saw gem-studded gold railings which obviously should have been a part of the Palace (not a tomb under construction) which the Mugal army is stated to have looted then.

The contemporary royal records do not give precise information about the construction. Wild guesses are being made with regard to the expenditure which ranges from 4 to 91 million Rupees. The period of construction also ranges from 10 to 22 years. Even the architects of Taaj are not known precisely. They are variously mentioned as Persian or Turkish Essa Effendy or Frenchman Mehendis or Italian Geronimo Veronco. Thus there is a great confusion regarding the architects too.

The garden around Taaj is described to have consisted of trees and plants sacred to the Hindu including the Bilva Patra. A chance digging at the area revealed the existence of more than 20 rooms of Hindu-type and fountains below the present level of the Taaj. Some of these evidences point out the existence of a Palace and a temple at the area where Taaj stands today.

This in anyway does not take away the splendor of Taaj Mahal which is universally admired. Perhaps some more research and evidences are needed to accept the thesis of the historian PN Oak.

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