BJP MP & a member of Jaipur’s erstwhile royal family, Diya Kumari has claimed the land on which the Taj Mahal was built originally belonged to her family and asserted that she has documents that show her family’s claim on the land.
After a petition in the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court seeking a survey by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to examine the 22 locked rooms of the Taj Mahal in order to check for the presence of Hindu idols, Diya Kumari came out in support of the petition. The plea has claimed that there used to be a Shiv Temple that Shah Jahan converted into his wife’s mausoleum.
In her remarks, the BJP leader Diya Kumari said that the people have the right to know what was there originally before the the monument was built and it should be investigated.
Diya Kumari claimed that Mughal ruler Shah Jahan had taken possession of the land belonging to her family. She added that there are records available with the Jaipur family and it would provide these, if required.
Diya Kumari said: “Compensation was given in lieu of the land but how much was it, whether it was accepted or not, I cannot say this because I have not studied the records which are there in our ‘pothikhana’. But the land belonged to our family and Shah Jahan had acquired it.”
“Since there was no judiciary, no appeal could have been made at that time. Things will be clear only after examining the records,” she added.
On being asked if a petition will also be filed in the court on behalf of the Jaipur’s erstwhile royal family, BJP MP Diya Kumari said that they are looking into it now and will examine what steps should be taken.
It may be mentioned here that Diya Kumari, who is a member of Jaipur’s erstwhile royal family had earlier claimed that her family descended from Lord Rama’s son. She said that she willing to provide evidence of her family’s lineage in Supreme Court, hoping it will help in expediting the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya.
The Taj Mahal was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as a mausoleum for his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. He had commissioned the structure in 1631 and the construction had begun the next year. The marble monument took 22 years and 22,000 workers to be finally completed in 1653.
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