Taj Mahal Samadhi, Mandir, or Palace, are some of the questions.
-সন্দীপন মন্ডল
"There are two kinds of people in the world, one who has not seen the Taj Mahal and another who has seen the Taj Mahal.".
The Taj Mahal is, of course, one of the most important monuments representing India and its place in world history But does Taj Mahal mean only the love of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz? Only the bench of love? Only the story of the Taj Mahal changing its colour with the symbol of Shah Jahan's sadness at four o'clock that afternoon? A few days ago, I filed an RTI with the Archaeological Survey of India raising several questions.
Let me put some of those questions below, find out the answers for yourself.
Let me put some of those questions below, find out the answers for yourself.
1 If you look at the history books of Class IX and X, we all know who built the Taj Mahal But do you know on what evidence the claim that Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal is based? = One of the biggest questions The clear history of who built the Taj Mahal is not written in any book during the Sultanate period.
There are many orders or instructions in contemporary books but it is not written anywhere that such a Sultan ordered to build the Taj Mahal on such a day for such a reason.
There are many orders or instructions in contemporary books but it is not written anywhere that such a Sultan ordered to build the Taj Mahal on such a day for such a reason.
2 With the construction of a large structure like the Taj Mahal, it requires a lot of people and skills for its maintenance But who ordered the maintenance of the Taj Mahal for the first time in which year? = This question needs to be asked so that we can understand the excellence of the construction and the strong survival of such a large structure at that time.
The first repairing or maintenance is only when the building is a little old and needs to be repaired.
The first repairing or maintenance is only when the building is a little old and needs to be repaired.
3 Was the water from the Bauli Burj, the well in the Taj Mahal complex, ever drained? = The Bauli Burj well has characteristics similar to those of the centuries-old large zamindar wells of our state There are several secret chambers at the bottom, in which the zamindars must have been hiding property.
The draining of the Bauli Burj is immaterial because if the Taj Mahal were an Islamic structure, the water would not be available for extraction And there is always the fear of'spilling out of the water'if the water is not drained inside the Bauli Burj.
The draining of the Bauli Burj is immaterial because if the Taj Mahal were an Islamic structure, the water would not be available for extraction And there is always the fear of'spilling out of the water'if the water is not drained inside the Bauli Burj.
4 Why is the Taj Mahal octagonal or eight-cornered, whereas all Muslim edifices are essentially round? = Octagonal edifices are rare in all religions except Hinduism, where the octagonal corner or roof is one of the main features of Hindu architecture Hindus, for instance, strictly follow the ten directions, with eight distinct names on eight sides, the head being called the upper one and the feet the lower one.
5 Which flower is inscribed on the top of the Urdu inscription on the entrance to the Taj Mahal? = The portrait of the lotus is carved, the presence and position of which and the need for which are rare in Islamic style architecture.
6 What kind of metal three-faced rod or'Pinnacle Trident'is on the head of the Taj Mahal? What is the image of the base of the same? = First of all, let us talk about the metal The'Pinnacle Trident'has not been worn by rust or rust till today Just like we can see in the iron pillar of Mehrauli.
That is, the metal part of this rod is of such a metal that its use in the history of Indian civilization began in the contemporary period of Mehrauli Further, from the earliest photographs of the Taj Mahal, the image carved on the head looks exactly like a coconut and a sheet placed on it.
That is, the kind of pot that is put on the door of our house on auspicious occasions Also, the flower print on this portrait is an inverted lotus But there is no such image on the head of all the Islamic architecture in India Something similar is seen on the head of the Triwalla Kedarnath Temple.
That is, the metal part of this rod is of such a metal that its use in the history of Indian civilization began in the contemporary period of Mehrauli Further, from the earliest photographs of the Taj Mahal, the image carved on the head looks exactly like a coconut and a sheet placed on it.
That is, the kind of pot that is put on the door of our house on auspicious occasions Also, the flower print on this portrait is an inverted lotus But there is no such image on the head of all the Islamic architecture in India Something similar is seen on the head of the Triwalla Kedarnath Temple.
7 Does the Taj's head Trident look exactly the same as the copy of the Pinnacle Trident that is in the Taj's courtyard? = Not at all The carving of the Trident on the top of the head has some words written on it in Arabic or Persian which do not match the copy on the ground because the copy on the ground has no words engraved on it.
8 What purpose were the Taj Mahal minarets built for and what function is recorded in history? = We know that the muezzins recite the prayer adhan or salah while sitting on the Islamic high minaret But there is no recorded evidence of this being the case in the four minarets of the Taj Mahal.
The four minarets are exquisitely crafted, but no one knows what function they served In Hinduism, the four tall sticks around the yajna or the four tall plantains around the mandap are kept standing.
The four minarets are exquisitely crafted, but no one knows what function they served In Hinduism, the four tall sticks around the yajna or the four tall plantains around the mandap are kept standing.
9 Since the Sultans are concerned, why are two fake graves built on top when everyone knows the grave is below? = So that curious people do not go far into the main part of the grave below and the mystery of the grave below remains.
10 Was there a hall or hall for music in any part of the Taj Mahal? If so, why was there such a strange custom in Islam for the last resting place? = There was a music hall or nahbat khana in the Taj Mahal But where peace has been given the highest priority for the soul within the thousand-year-old pyramids, it is not uncommon to find a music hall in a mausoleum of an Islamic sultanate even after several thousand years? On the contrary, we find temples in different parts of India where music was arranged to appease the singing deities.
11 How much did the Taj Mahal cost in total? = Various books mention different costs The cost of three contemporary books is publicly known to be so disproportionate that it is not possible to make one at the original cost of one, or two, and then add a few more to the Taj Mahal or a minaret.
Why such a discrepancy?.
Why such a discrepancy?.
12 Does the ASI have any trace of any of the descendants of the architects and the thousands of labourers who built the Taj Mahal? = The thousands of labourers who built the Taj Mahal have no recorded history Where did they come from, and where did they go?.
13 From the reference of which book does it appear that Shah Jahan cut off the hands of the labourers? = Various versions of the books Some say Shah Jahan cut off the hands of the labourers, some say he cut off the hands of the two chief architects, some say Aurangzeb killed them after the Taj Mahal was completed.
Actually, nowhere is it written as a single one.
Actually, nowhere is it written as a single one.
14 What does the translation of Badshahnama, Volume 1, page 400-405 say? = Page 403 states that Shah Jahan occupied a huge palace on the banks of a river in Agra that had previously belonged to the Rajput king Jayasimha The palace has seven floors, with about a hundred rooms and a dome.
What a strange similarity, isn't it?.
What a strange similarity, isn't it?.
15 Did Aurangzeb send any letter to his father forbidding him to repair the Taj Mahal? = A letter in Persian, which translates as "Aurangzeb forbids his father to repair the Taj Mahal " How is it that Shah Jahan took more than two decades from 1630 AD to build the Taj Mahal by bringing a huge famous architect from outside? One such letter, found in three different history books of the time, says that in 1651, Aurangzeb was walking in the gardens of the Taj and saw water gushing over the Taj Mahal or his ".
father's wife's tomb," which could irritate the structure that was not fully completed.
father's wife's tomb," which could irritate the structure that was not fully completed.
16 Did Shah Jahan and his own daughter ever have an illicit affair? = The answer lies in the next question.
Did Shah Jahan remarry after Mumtaz's death? = Reportedly, Shah Jahan became completely weak to his daughter several years after Mumtaz's death In this regard, the French tourist-physician of the Mughal court at the time, Francis Bernier, satirized in his book "Shah Jahan is easily said to be enjoying the fruit of the tree he planted.
".
".
Where do we find the famous love of Shah Jahan with Mumtaz? ='Shah Jahan lovingly built the Taj Mahal in memory of Mumtaz ' But the love with which the Taj Mahal was built in those days at a cost of several hundred crores of rupees is not mentioned in Mughal history.
Until Mumtaz died, history is silent about how much Shah Jahan loved Mumtaz At the same time, history has no answer to how many palaces Shah Jahan lovingly gifted to Mumtaz during her lifetime.
Until Mumtaz died, history is silent about how much Shah Jahan loved Mumtaz At the same time, history has no answer to how many palaces Shah Jahan lovingly gifted to Mumtaz during her lifetime.
When Peter Mundy and John Albert Mendelow came to Agra? = When these two tourists came to India, only a few months to a few years had passed since the so-called'work'of building the Taj Mahal began Yet they came to India and found in Agra, in their own words,'Toje'or'Tejo Mohol Bazar '.
They mentioned it in their book That is, soon after the Taj Mahal was built, a common man's market named after the Taj (read, part of Mumtaz's name) was set up in the area without any problems.
They mentioned it in their book That is, soon after the Taj Mahal was built, a common man's market named after the Taj (read, part of Mumtaz's name) was set up in the area without any problems.
20 What was the total population of India between the time of Babur's arrival and the end of Aurangzeb's reign and how much? Was it recorded or not at that time? = This question needs to be asked for one reason only, to know whether non-Muslims were massacred during the Mughal period.
21 How many Hindu temples were built under the patronage of the emperors during the reign of Mughal Lodi Syed Mamluk Tughlaq and Khalji? = Needless to say, there is still a lot of work to be done, not to add to the unnecessary trouble.
22 Do the old photo archives in India have any pictures of Katas Raj or Prambanan temples? = For those who think Taj Mahal is an Islamic architecture, Katas Raj is a Hindu temple in Pakistan and Prambanan is a Hindu temple in Indonesia Both these temples, especially Katas Raj temple, have a striking resemblance to the Taj Mahal.
What is the religious worship of any kind in the precincts of the Taj Mahal? Or of what religion? = Religious worship takes place in a mosque within the precincts of the Taj Mahal.
The Taj Mahal complex faces exactly which direction? = The Kaaba in Mecca is not the direction a Muslim would look if he prayed facing west at a 90 degree angle, as the Taj Mahal complex faces, but the Bandar Abbas in Iran is a few thousand kilometers uphill or north of the Kaaba in Mecca.
But if the Taj Mahal was built by the right Islamic architect, this would not be a mistake, because if a queen's body was in the tomb, someone standing in the tomb and prayed facing west would have to make the tomb so that his face would point directly to Mecca during prayer.
But if the Taj Mahal was built by the right Islamic architect, this would not be a mistake, because if a queen's body was in the tomb, someone standing in the tomb and prayed facing west would have to make the tomb so that his face would point directly to Mecca during prayer.
25 If there is only one mosque for offering prayers at the Taj Mahal, why is it that another building is built by copying it and facing the opposite side? = It is a bad practice or haram in the Islamic tradition to perform religious rituals facing the other side.
There is no need for two mosques at the same time If there is no building like a mosque, what use is the building there?.
There is no need for two mosques at the same time If there is no building like a mosque, what use is the building there?.
When and why was a sun-like beam of light made in the innermost part of the Taj Mahal next to the lamp gifted by Lord Curzon? = According to legend, the Shivlinga just inside the middle of the Taj Mahal was made to drop water on its head or a small hole was made in the middle of the roof where the lamp given by Barlat now hangs.
Much later, a sun-like design was made to fill the hole.
Much later, a sun-like design was made to fill the hole.
27 Are there any other religious symbols of non-Muslims inscribed anywhere in the Taj Mahal? If so, what and how can they be seen? = Several floral designs and rock paintings are found in the Taj Mahal, which are very similar to the symbols of Hinduism Also, copies of about a hundred Vedic symbols are found on the Taj.
Where is the evidence of the date when Mumtaz's body was brought from Burhanpur to Agra and buried inside the Taj Mahal in Agra? = Vital point For this, there was so much of planning, so much of fuss, so much of her body was brought from a distant city to Agra, only the date of this arrival is there in a book of history, but the body was buried again according to religious rites, where is any concrete evidence of the date or dates of occurrence of these events? Why is there no exact timeline of such a significant chapter in the life of one of the most celebrated Sultanates of the world?.
29 Did any closed chamber of the Taj Mahal have a metal detector scan? What is the result? = Once a closed chamber in the basement of the Taj Mahal is scanned with a metal detector, the detector reveals the presence of many'metal objects'beyond the closed door It may be a precious treasure, some of which may have been stored in the Bauli Burj.
30 Has any organic wood ever been carbon dated in any of the Taj Mahal's parts? = A broken part of a door on the outside of the Taj Mahal was somehow taken out of this country This caused a furore and the guard was tightened Based on the results of that carbon dating, the wood of that door is hundreds of years older.
Some decades old but it is possible that the door was made of some centuries old wood to make a new cost-effective love charm? Then the door was sealed.
Some decades old but it is possible that the door was made of some centuries old wood to make a new cost-effective love charm? Then the door was sealed.
What exactly is written in the Bateshwar script? = This is a very interesting topic about the Taj Mahal This script was recovered very close to Agra, Uttar Pradesh, in a place called Bateshwar, where some mysterious things were clearly written, such as "that huge palace made of white stone.
" And more surprisingly, this script is much older than the Taj Mahal But instead of giving this script the name Agra script, the name Bateshwar script was given so that no one could find any distant relation between the Taj Mahal and this script But whatever the name of this script is today, which great white building is this script said about?.
" And more surprisingly, this script is much older than the Taj Mahal But instead of giving this script the name Agra script, the name Bateshwar script was given so that no one could find any distant relation between the Taj Mahal and this script But whatever the name of this script is today, which great white building is this script said about?.
32 Is there any relation of Maharaj Man Singh and Maharaj Jai Singh recorded with Taj Mahal? = One of the most imporant questions, because if what is said about Taj Mahal is only a palace and not a temple, then it was not made by any Mughal, if the statement is true, it was the architecture made by Jai Singh, which was later bought by Shah Jahan in the time of Man Singh.
Not much can be said publicly, but many people think that still there are some old documents in the family of these two kings of Rajasthan which if published will raise a much stronger claim to the mystery of Taj Mahal's history.
Not much can be said publicly, but many people think that still there are some old documents in the family of these two kings of Rajasthan which if published will raise a much stronger claim to the mystery of Taj Mahal's history.
33 Further, the existence of many chambers or rooms inside the Taj Mahal is known, which were sealed i e during the Mughal period itself.
The questions you have read so far are not my RTI answers, I have raised some possibilities and questions with the answers.
Now coming to the RTI, I had asked these questions along with a few more questions, totaling fifty questions in the appeal, and with this appeal, I had asked that if any question is not under their office but under another office, they should transfer that question of my appeal to those offices as per subsection 3 of section 6 of the RTI Act 2005.
But the answers I got were truly amazing.
According to the rules of the RTI Act 2005 in India, the replies they could have given me were 1 It is not possible to answer so many questions in one RTI, 2 We do not have the answers to so many questions, 3 We cannot answer these questions or so many questions because of certain security or religious tolerance, 4.
You are requested to contact this office where the answers can be found, 5 We do not have the answers to such questions and are transferring them to another office or office called A B C X Y Z by letter.
You are requested to contact this office where the answers can be found, 5 We do not have the answers to such questions and are transferring them to another office or office called A B C X Y Z by letter.
But the answers they give me are, 1 The answers to these questions are not in the records office, and research is needed 2 Some answers can be found in the ASI archives and library in Agra So I am requested to do so 3 I can refer to books in several publications available in the market where I can find the answers.
Incidentally, no RTI office ever recommends this way of looking at references to sources outside the government, only saying that they do not have the information if the information is not there.
Also, I found out on the net that a case was filed in a court in Uttar Pradesh the previous year about the history of the Taj Mahal Do you know what the verdict was? - "If the history of the Taj Mahal changes, tourists may lose interest in visiting it, which may harm India's tourism industry in the world.
".
".
(সমস্ত তথ্য অন্তর্জালে উপস্থিত ও সেখান হতেই সংগৃহিত)
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eiusmod. Brunch 3 wolf moon tempor, sunt aliqua put a bird on it squid single-origin coffee nulla
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Anim pariatur cliche reprehenderit, enim eiusmod high life accusamus terry richardson ad squid. 3
wolf moon officia aute, non cupidatat skateboard dolor brunch. Food truck quinoa nesciunt laborum
eiusmod. Brunch 3 wolf moon tempor, sunt aliqua put a bird on it squid single-origin coffee nulla
assumenda shoreditch et. Nihil anim keffiyeh helvetica, craft beer labore wes anderson cred
nesciunt sapiente ea proident. Ad vegan excepteur butcher vice lomo. Leggings occaecat craft beer
farm-to-table, raw denim aesthetic synth nesciunt you probably haven't heard of them accusamus
labore sustainable VHS.
Anim pariatur cliche reprehenderit, enim eiusmod high life accusamus terry richardson ad squid. 3
wolf moon officia aute, non cupidatat skateboard dolor brunch. Food truck quinoa nesciunt laborum
eiusmod. Brunch 3 wolf moon tempor, sunt aliqua put a bird on it squid single-origin coffee nulla
assumenda shoreditch et. Nihil anim keffiyeh helvetica, craft beer labore wes anderson cred
nesciunt sapiente ea proident. Ad vegan excepteur butcher vice lomo. Leggings occaecat craft beer
farm-to-table, raw denim aesthetic synth nesciunt you probably haven't heard of them accusamus
labore sustainable VHS.
