My selection: HIDDEN TRUTH ABOUT TAJ MAHAL (25 photos)

HIDDEN TRUTH ABOUT TAJ MAHAL? (25 photos)

The speculation is that the building is not a mausoleum, but a Hindu palace, specifically dedicated to Shiva. In 2000, India's Supreme Court dismissed a petition to declare that a Hindu king built the Taj Mahal. Here is a complete summary of the case presented by the petitioner.

In short, the author of the petition claimed that the origins of the Taj, together with other historic structures in the country currently ascribed to Muslim sultans, actuallu pre-date the Muslim occupation of India and thus, have a Hindu origin.

"Taj Mahal, he claims, is a corrupt version of Tejo Mahalaya, or Lord Shiva's Palace. Oak also says the love story of Mumtaz and Shah Jahan is a fairy tale created by court sycophants, blundering historians and sloppy archaeologists Not a single royal chronicle of Shah Jahan's time corroborates the love story. Furthermore, Oak cites several documents suggesting the Taj Mahal predates Shah Jahan's era, and was a temple dedicated to Shiva, worshipped by Rajputs of Agra city. For example, Prof. Marvin Miller of New York took a few samples from the riverside doorway of the Taj. Carbon dating tests revealed that the door was 300 years older than Shah Jahan."

For contrast and perspective, here is the Wikipedia essay on the Taj Mahal.

The article concludes: "Fearing political backlash, Indira Gandhi's government tried to have Prof. Oak's book withdrawn from the bookstores, and threatened the Indian publisher (with) dire consequences. There is only one way to discredit or validate Oak's research. The current government should open the sealed rooms of the Taj Ma hal under U.N. supervision, and let international experts investigate."