Taj Mahal: Difference between revisions

| visitation_num  = 6,532,366<ref name="Visitors2019">{{cite report |url=https://tourism.gov.in/sites/default/files/2020-04/India%20Tourism%20Statistics%202019.pdf |title=India tourism statistics 2019 |publisher=Ministry of tourism of India |page=107 |access-date=27 January 2022 |archive-date=8 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220508123804/https://tourism.gov.in/sites/default/files/2020-04/India%20Tourism%20Statistics%202019.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

| governing_body  = [[Archaeological Survey of India]]

The '''Taj Mahal''' ({{IPAc-en|ˌ|t|ɑː|dʒ|_|m|ə|ˈ|h|ɑː|l|,_|ˌ|t|ɑː|ʒ|-}};  {{lit|Crown of the Palace}})<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=[[Dehkhoda]] |first=Ali Akbar |url=https://dehkhoda.ut.ac.ir/fa/dictionary/80783/%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%AC-%D9%85%D8%AD%D9%84 |title=Dehkhoda Dictionary (online version) |publisher=Dehkhoda Lexicon Institute & International Center for Persian Studies ([[University of Tehran]]) |location=[[Tehran]] |language=fa |access-date=16 April 2022 |archive-date=15 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230615232025/https://dehkhoda.ut.ac.ir/fa/dictionary/80783/%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%AC-%D9%85%D8%AD%D9%84 |url-status=dead }}</ref>{{sfn|Wells|1990|page=704|}}{{sfn| Ahmed|1998|page=94}} is an ivory-white [[marble]] [[mausoleum]] on the right bank of the river [[Yamuna]]  in [[Agra]], [[Uttar Pradesh]], India. It was commissioned in 1631 by the fifth [[Mughal Empire|Mughal emperor]], [[Shah Jahan]] ({{reign|1628|1658}}) to house the tomb of his favourite wife, [[Mumtaz Mahal]]; it also houses the tomb of Shah Jahan himself. The tomb is the centrepiece of a {{convert|42|acre|ha|order=flip|adj=on}} complex, which includes a [[mosque]] and a guest house, and is set in formal gardens bounded on three sides by a [[crenellated]] wall.

The Taj Mahal was designated as a [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage Site]] in 1983 for being "the jewel of [[Muslim art]] in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage". It is regarded by many as the best example of [[Mughal architecture]] and a symbol of India's rich history. The Taj Mahal attracts 7-8 million visitors a year,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Views of Taj Mahal |url=https://www.tajmahal.gov.in/views-of-maj-mahal.aspx#:~:text=The%20Taj%20Mahal%20attracts%20from,of%20October,%20November%20and%20February. |access-date=2023-07-16 |website=www.tajmahal.gov.in |archive-date=8 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230608141542/https://tajmahal.gov.in/views-of-maj-mahal.aspx#:~:text=The%20Taj%20Mahal%20attracts%20from,of%20October,%20November%20and%20February. |url-status=live }}</ref> and in 2007 it was declared a winner of the [[New 7 Wonders of the World]] (2000–2007) initiative.

The current name for the Taj Mahal is of [[Urdu]] origin, and believed to be derived from [[Persian language|Persian]] and [[Arabic]], with the words ''tāj mahall'' meaning "crown" (''tāj'') "palace" (''mahall'').<ref>{{Cite web |title=Definition of Taj Mahal |website=Dictionary.com |url=https://www.dictionary.com/browse/taj-mahal |access-date=2021-03-01 |archive-date=21 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210121035749/https://www.dictionary.com/browse/taj-mahal |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Taj Mahal definition and meaning |website=Collins English Dictionary |url=https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/taj-mahal |access-date=2021-03-01 |archive-date=8 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230308094825/https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/taj-mahal |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":0" /> The name "Taj" came from the corruption of the second syllable of "Mumtaz".<ref>{{Cite book |title=Islamic Culture|year=1975|volume=49-50|pages=195 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=I24uAQAAIAAJ&q=%22Taj+Bibi%22+Mumtaz+corruption}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=The Calcutta Review|year=1869 |volume=149|pages=146|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TWsoAAAAYAAJ&dq=%22Taj+Bibi%22+Mumtaz+corruption&pg=RA1-PA146}}</ref>

The Taj Mahal was commissioned by Shah Jahan in 1631, to be built in the memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died on 17 June that year, while giving birth to their 14th child, [[Gauhara Begum]].{{sfn|Asher|1992|p=210}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Taj Mahal: Memorial to Love |work=Treasures of the World: Taj Mahal |publisher=PBS |url=https://www.pbs.org/treasuresoftheworld/a_nav/taj_nav/main_tajfrm.html |access-date=7 February 2015 |archive-date=13 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171013173327/https://www.pbs.org/treasuresoftheworld/a_nav/taj_nav/main_tajfrm.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Construction started in 1632,{{sfn|Sarkar|1919|pages=30, 31}} and the mausoleum was completed in 1648, while the surrounding buildings and garden were finished five years later.<ref name="Creation History">{{cite web |title=Creation History of Taj Mahal |website=Department of Tourism, Government of Uttar Pradesh, India |url=https://www.tajmahal.gov.in/creation.html |access-date=19 October 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-date=6 June 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170606065504/http://www.tajmahal.gov.in/creation.html}}</ref> The imperial court documenting Shah Jahan's grief after the death of Mumtaz Mahal illustrates the love story held as the inspiration for the Taj Mahal.{{sfn|Chaghtai|1938|p=46}} According to contemporary historians Muhammad Amin Qazvini, [[Abdul Hamid Lahori]] and [[Muhammad Saleh Kamboh]], he did not show the same level of affection to others as he had shown her while she was alive. He avoided royal affairs for a week due to his grief, along with giving up listening to music and dressing lavishly for two years. Shah Jahan was enamored by the beauty of the land at the south side of Agra on which a mansion belonging to Raja [[Jai Singh I]] stood. This place was chosen for the construction of Mumtaz's tomb by Shah Jahan and Jai Singh agreed to donate it to the emperor.<ref>{{cite book|title=Taj Mahal: The Illumined Tomb : an Anthology of Seventeenth-century Mughal and European Documentary Sources|author1=Wayne Edison Begley|author2=Ziauddin Abdul Hayy Desai|year=1989|publisher=Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture|pages=13-14, 22, 41-43}}</ref>

The minarets, which are each more than {{convert|40|m|ft}} tall, display the designer's penchant for symmetry. They were designed as working minarets{{snd}}a traditional element of mosques, used by the [[muezzin]] to call the Islamic faithful to prayer. Each minaret is effectively divided into three equal parts by two working balconies that ring the tower. At the top of the tower is a final balcony surmounted by a [[chattri]] that mirrors the design of those on the tomb. The chattris all share the same decorative elements of a lotus design topped by a gilded finial. The minarets were constructed slightly outside of the plinth so that in the event of collapse, a typical occurrence with many tall constructions of the period, the material from the towers would tend to fall away from the tomb.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.kristianbertel.dk/archive/taj-mahal-a-monument-of-love-in-india.html |title=Taj Mahal – A Monument of Love in India |website=Kristian Bertel Photography |access-date=26 January 2021 |archive-date=31 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210131150737/http://www.kristianbertel.dk/archive/taj-mahal-a-monument-of-love-in-india.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

The calligraphy on the Great Gate reads "O Soul, thou art at rest. Return to the Lord at peace with Him, and He at peace with you."{{sfn|Koch|2006| p= 100}} The calligraphy was created in 1609 by a calligrapher named [[Abdul Haq]]. Shah Jahan conferred the title of "Amanat Khan" upon him as a reward for his "dazzling virtuosity".<ref name=Anon>{{cite web |title=The Taj mahal |work=Islamic architecture |publisher=Islamic Arts and Architecture Organization |url=http://www.islamicart.com/library/empires/india/taj_mahal.html |access-date=7 February 2015 |url-status=live |archive-date=17 April 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090417083242/http://islamicart.com/library/empires/india/taj_mahal.html}}</ref> Near the lines from the Qur'an at the base of the interior dome is the inscription, "Written by the insignificant being, Amanat Khan Shirazi".<ref>{{cite web |title=...calligraphy |work=Treasures of the World: Taj Mahal |url=https://www.pbs.org/treasuresoftheworld/taj_mahal/tlevel_2/t4visit_3calligraphy.html |access-date=7 February 2015 |publisher=PBS |archive-date=9 May 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150509214447/http://www.pbs.org/treasuresoftheworld/taj_mahal/tlevel_2/t4visit_3calligraphy.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Much of the calligraphy is composed of florid [[thuluth]] script made of [[jasper]] or black marble<ref name=Anon/> inlaid in white marble panels. Higher panels are written in slightly larger script to reduce the skewing effect when viewed from below. The calligraphy found on the marble [[cenotaph]]s in the tomb is particularly detailed and delicate.{{citation needed|date=June 2019}}

Abstract forms are used throughout, especially in the plinth, minarets, gateway, mosque, jawab and, to a lesser extent, on the surfaces of the tomb. The domes and vaults of the sandstone buildings are worked with [[tracery]] of [[incised painting]] to create elaborate geometric forms. [[opus spicatum|Herringbone]] inlays define the space between many of the adjoining elements. White inlays are used in sandstone buildings, and dark or black inlays on the white marbles. Mortared areas of the marble buildings have been stained or painted in a contrasting colour which creates a complex {{citation needed|date=October 2022}} array of geometric patterns. Floors and walkways use contrasting [[tile]]s or blocks in [[tessellation]] patterns.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Finest example of Mughal architecture – Review of Taj Mahal, Agra, India|website=Tripadvisor|url=http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g297683-d317329-r227384075-Taj_Mahal-Agra_Agra_District_Uttar_Pradesh.html|access-date=2020-09-03|archive-date=5 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211105181419/https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g297683-d317329-r227384075-Taj_Mahal-Agra_Agra_District_Uttar_Pradesh.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

The Taj Mahal was constructed using materials from all over India and Asia. It is believed over 1,000 elephants were used to transport building materials. Some 22,000 labourers, painters, embroidery artists and stonecutters were used.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.uniglobecarefreetravel.com/post/view/10-interesting-facts-about-the-taj-mahal|title=10 interesting facts about the Taj Mahal|website=UNIGLOBE|access-date=2019-01-22|archive-date=22 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190122195626/http://www.uniglobecarefreetravel.com/post/view/10-interesting-facts-about-the-taj-mahal|url-status=dead}}</ref> The translucent white marble was brought from [[Makrana]], Rajasthan, the jasper from the [[Punjab region]], [[jade]] and [[crystal]] from China. The [[turquoise]] was from [[Tibet]] and the [[Lapis lazuli]] from [[Afghanistan]], while the [[sapphire]] came from [[Sri Lanka]] and the [[carnelian]] from [[Arabia]]. In all, 28 types of precious and semi-precious stone were inlaid into the white marble.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Mann |first=Elizabeth |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=72mwBl2B4q4C |title=Taj Mahal |date=2008 |publisher=Mikaya Press |isbn=978-1-931414-44-9 |language=en |access-date=2 March 2023 |archive-date=8 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230308095029/https://books.google.com/books?id=72mwBl2B4q4C |url-status=live }}</ref>

According to the legend, Shah Jahan decreed that anyone could keep the bricks taken from the scaffold, and thus it was dismantled by peasants overnight.<ref>{{Cite web |title=...building the Taj Mahal |url=https://www.pbs.org/treasuresoftheworld/a_nav/taj_nav/tajnav_level_1/3building_tajfrm.html |work=Treasures of the World: Taj Mahal |publisher=PBS |access-date=18 November 2019 |archive-date=17 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191117173104/http://www.pbs.org/treasuresoftheworld/a_nav/taj_nav/tajnav_level_1/3building_tajfrm.html |url-status=live }}</ref> A 15-kilometre (9.3&nbsp;mi) tamped-earth ramp was built to transport marble and materials to the construction site and teams of 20 or 30 oxen pulled the blocks on specially constructed wagons.{{sfn|Carroll |1973 |p=64 }} An elaborate [[Timber framing|post-and-beam]] pulley system was used to raise the blocks into the desired position. Water was drawn from the river by a series of ''purs'', an animal-powered rope and bucket mechanism, into a large storage tank and raised to a large distribution tank. It was passed into three subsidiary tanks, from which it was piped to the complex.{{citation needed|date=June 2019}}

The plinth and tomb took some 12 years to complete. The remaining parts of the complex took an additional 10 years and were completed in order of minarets, mosque and jawab, and gateway. Since the complex was built in stages, discrepancies exist in completion dates due to differing opinions on "completion". Construction of the mausoleum itself was essentially completed by 1643{{sfn|Sarkar|1919|pages=30, 31}} while work on the outlying buildings continued for years. Estimates of the cost of construction vary due to difficulties in estimating costs across time. The total cost at the time has been estimated to be about {{INR}} 32 million,{{sfn|Sarkar|1919|pages=30, 31}} which is around {{INR}} 52.8&nbsp;billion ($827&nbsp;million US) based on 2015 values.<ref>{{cite web |title=rupees 52.8 billion (dollars US) |website=WolframAlpha: Computational Intelligence |publisher=Wolfram Alpha LLC |url=http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=rupees+52.8+billion+%28dollars+US%29 |access-date=20 May 2015 |archive-date=30 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150630045836/http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=rupees+52.8+billion+%28dollars+US%29 |url-status=live }}<!--Archived URL does not function--></ref>

The planning and structure of the Taj Mahal, from the building itself to the gardens and beyond, is symbolic of Mumtaz Mahal's mansion in the garden of Paradise.{{sfn|Koch|2005|p=140}} The concept of Gardens of Paradise is extended into the building of the mausoleum as well. Colorful vines and flowers decorate the interior, and are filled in with semi-precious stones using a technique called pietra dura, or as the Mughals called it, ''parchin kari''.{{sfn|Moinifar|2013|p=133}} The building appears to slightly change color depending on the time of day and the weather. The sky has not only been incorporated in the design through the reflecting pools but also through the surface of the building itself. This is another way to imply the presence of Allah at the site.<ref>{{Cite web |date=December 4, 2020 |title=Views of Taj Mahal |url=https://www.tajmahal.gov.in/views-of-maj-mahal.aspx |website=Department of Tourism, Government of Uttar Pradesh, India |access-date=1 March 2022 |archive-date=8 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220308114526/https://www.tajmahal.gov.in/views-of-maj-mahal.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref>

By the late 19th century, parts of the buildings had fallen into disrepair. At the end of the 19th century, British [[viceroy]] [[George Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston|Lord Curzon]] ordered a sweeping restoration project, which was completed in 1908.<ref>{{Cite web|title=History of Taj Mahal|url=https://www.tajmahal.org.uk/history.html|access-date=2021-08-29|website=www.tajmahal.org.uk|archive-date=5 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211105180730/https://www.tajmahal.org.uk/history.html|url-status=live}}</ref> He also commissioned the large lamp in the interior chamber, modelled after one in a [[Cairo]] mosque. During this time, the garden was remodelled with European-style lawns that are still in place today.<ref>{{Cite web |last=admin |date=2022-09-19 |title=Taj Mahal – The Symbol of Love – Shah Jahan Mumtaz Mahal |url=https://theindianchronicles.in/taj-mahal-the-symbol-of-love-shah-jahan-mumtaz-mahal/ |access-date=2023-03-02 |website=The Indian Chronicles |language=en-US |archive-date=2 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230302124726/https://theindianchronicles.in/taj-mahal-the-symbol-of-love-shah-jahan-mumtaz-mahal/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

More recent threats have come from [[environmental pollution]] on the banks of the [[Yamuna River]] including [[acid rain]]{{sfn|Dowdey|2007}} due to the [[Mathura Refinery|Mathura Oil Refinery]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=What Really Ails the Taj Mahal?|url=https://thewire.in/urban/what-really-ails-the-taj-mahal|access-date=2020-09-03|website=The Wire|archive-date=12 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200812184339/https://thewire.in/urban/what-really-ails-the-taj-mahal|url-status=live}}</ref> which was opposed by [[Supreme Court of India]] directives.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Supreme Court raps Government for its apathy towards Taj Mahal |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/heritage/story/19940228-supreme-court-raps-government-for-its-apathy-towards-taj-mahal-810127-1994-02-27 |access-date=2023-03-02 |website=India Today |language=en |archive-date=2 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230302125743/https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/heritage/story/19940228-supreme-court-raps-government-for-its-apathy-towards-taj-mahal-810127-1994-02-27 |url-status=live }}</ref> The pollution has been turning the Taj Mahal yellow-brown.{{sfn|Jayalakshmi|2014}}<ref>{{cite news |title=The Taj Mahal is falling victim to chronic pollution |date=3 December 2010 |website=The Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/picturegalleries/worldnews/8179264/The-Taj-Mahal-is-falling-victim-to-chronic-pollution.html |url-access=registration |access-date=24 February 2020 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/picturegalleries/worldnews/8179264/The-Taj-Mahal-is-falling-victim-to-chronic-pollution.html |archive-date=10 January 2022}}{{cbignore}}</ref> To help control the pollution, the Indian government has set up the "Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ)", a {{convert|10400|km2|sqmi|adj=on}} area around the monument where strict emissions standards are in place.<ref>{{cite web |title=Toxons and the Taj |date=30 April 1997 |work=Frontline |access-date=7 February 2015 |url=http://www.unesco.org/courier/2000_07/uk/signe.htm |via=UNESCO |archive-date=26 May 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080526021559/http://www.unesco.org/courier/2000_07/uk/signe.htm}}</ref>

Small minarets located at two of the outlying buildings were reported as damaged by a storm on April 11, 2018.<ref>{{cite web |title=India Taj Mahal minarets damaged in storm |website=BBC News |date=12 April 2018 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-43735757 |access-date=21 July 2018 |archive-date=25 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190125175717/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-43735757 |url-status=live }}</ref> On 31 May 2020 another fierce thunderstorm caused some damage to the complex.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1560444/deadly-thunderstorm-damages-taj-mahal |title=Deadly thunderstorm damages Taj Mahal |work=Dawn |date=1 June 2020 |access-date=3 June 2020 |archive-date=2 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200602151418/https://www.dawn.com/news/1560444/deadly-thunderstorm-damages-taj-mahal |url-status=live }}</ref>

Foreign dignitaries often visit the Taj Mahal on trips to India. Notable figures who have travelled to the site include [[Dwight Eisenhower]], [[Jacqueline Kennedy]], [[Jimmy Carter]], [[George H. W. Bush]], [[George Harrison]], [[Vladimir Putin]], [[Princess Diana]], [[Donald Trump]], [[Justin Trudeau]], [[Charles, Prince of Wales|Prince Charles]], [[Elizabeth II|Queen Elizabeth]], and [[Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh|Prince Philip]].<ref>{{Cite news |title=Trump to Diana: The most iconic Taj Mahal photos |date=2020-02-24 |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-51583627 |access-date=2020-02-24 |archive-date=25 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200225025915/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-51583627 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |first=Kate |last=Bennett |date=February 21, 2020 |website=CNN |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/21/politics/melania-trump-first-ladies-india/index.html |access-date=2020-02-24 |title=Melania Trump next in long line of first ladies to visit India |archive-date=24 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200224155952/https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/21/politics/melania-trump-first-ladies-india/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Trudeau, with family in tow, visits India's famed Taj Mahal |date=Feb 18, 2018 |website=CBC |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trudeau-official-visit-1.4541128 |access-date=4 December 2020 |archive-date=9 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109001416/https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trudeau-official-visit-1.4541128 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Matt |last=Fidler |date=25 Feb 2020 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/gallery/2020/feb/25/taj-mahal-posers-through-the-years-trump-in-pictures |title=Taj Mahal posers through the years |website=The Guardian |access-date=28 November 2021 |archive-date=28 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211128175953/https://www.theguardian.com/world/gallery/2020/feb/25/taj-mahal-posers-through-the-years-trump-in-pictures |url-status=live }}</ref>

No concrete evidence exists for claims that describe, often in horrific detail, the deaths, dismemberments and mutilations which Shah Jahan supposedly inflicted on various architects and craftsmen associated with the tomb.<ref>{{Cite web| title = Mutilations in Taj Mahal Myth| work = Taj Mahal| access-date = 2021-06-22| url = https://www.tajmahal.org.uk/legends/mutilation.html| archive-date = 8 March 2023| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230308095010/https://www.tajmahal.org.uk/legends/mutilation.html| url-status = live}}</ref>{{sfn|Lahiri|2004|p={{page needed|date=March 2022}}}} Some stories claim that those involved in construction signed contracts committing themselves to have no part in any similar design. Similar claims are made for many famous buildings.{{sfn|Koch|2006| p= 239}} No evidence exists for claims that [[Lord William Bentinck]], governor-general of India in the 1830s, supposedly planned to demolish the Taj Mahal and auction off the marble. Bentinck's biographer John Rosselli says that the story arose from Bentinck's fund-raising sale of discarded marble from Agra Fort.{{sfn|Rosselli|1974| p=283}}

As of 2017, several court cases about Taj Mahal being a Hindu temple have been inspired by P. N.  Oak's theory.{{sfn|Qureshi| 2017}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/is-the-taj-mahal-a-mausoleum-or-a-shiva-temple-cic-tells-government-to-clarify/story-bYyd6mFUmFbrIjOJnbP9CI.html|title=Is Taj Mahal a mausoleum or a Shiva temple? CIC asks govt to clarify|website=Hindustan Times|date=10 August 2017|access-date=16 January 2019|archive-date=15 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181115194946/https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/is-the-taj-mahal-a-mausoleum-or-a-shiva-temple-cic-tells-government-to-clarify/story-bYyd6mFUmFbrIjOJnbP9CI.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In August 2017, [[Archaeological Survey of India]] (ASI) stated there was no evidence to suggest the monument ever housed a temple.<ref>{{cite web |author=Ankit TyagiHarmeet Shah Singh |date=October 18, 2017 |title=BJP's Vinay Katiyar now calls Taj Mahal a Hindu temple – a 'bee in bonnet' theory that Supreme Court once rejected |website=India Today |url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/vinay-katiyar-taj-mahal-tejo-mahalaya-temple-supreme-court-bee-in-bonnet-theory-asi/1/1071039.html |access-date=24 January 2018 |archive-date=19 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171019101020/http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/vinay-katiyar-taj-mahal-tejo-mahalaya-temple-supreme-court-bee-in-bonnet-theory-asi/1/1071039.html |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Bharatiya Janata Party]]'s [[Vinay Katiyar]] in 2017 claimed that the 17th century monument was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan after destroying a Hindu temple called "Tejo Mahalaya" and it housed a [[Lingam|Shiva linga]]. This claim had also been made by another BJP member [[Laxmikant Bajpai]] in 2014. The BJP government's Union Minister of Culture [[Mahesh Sharma]] stated in November 2015 during a session of the parliament, that there was no evidence that it was a temple. The theories about Taj Mahal being a Shiva temple started circulating when Oak released his 1989 book ''Taj Mahal: The True Story''. He claimed it was built in 1155 AD and not in the 17th century, as stated by the ASI.<ref>{{cite web|date=October 18, 2017|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/what-is/what-is-tejo-mahalaya-controversy-taj-mahal-vinay-katiyar-bjp-4896716/|title=What is Tejo Mahalaya controversy?|website=The Indian Express|access-date=10 June 2019|archive-date=29 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191229084051/https://indianexpress.com/article/what-is/what-is-tejo-mahalaya-controversy-taj-mahal-vinay-katiyar-bjp-4896716/|url-status=live}}</ref>

* {{cite news |last=Ahluwalia |first=Ravneet |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/taj-mahal-india-dropped-tourism-booklet-utter-pradesh-government-a7981171.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220526/https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/taj-mahal-india-dropped-tourism-booklet-utter-pradesh-government-a7981171.html |archive-date=26 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Taj Mahal dropped from tourism booklet by state government |work=The Independent |date=3 October 2017 }}

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* {{Cite web|last=Jaiswal|first=Anuja|date=12 June 2019|title=Now, pay fine if you spend more than 3 hrs at Taj|work=The Times of India|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/now-pay-fine-if-you-spend-more-than-3-hrs-at-taj/articleshow/69748831.cms|access-date=2020-01-13|archive-date=8 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230308095054/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/now-pay-fine-if-you-spend-more-than-3-hrs-at-taj/articleshow/69748831.cms|url-status=live}}

* {{cite web |last=Jayalakshmi |first=K. |date=December 11, 2014 |title=India: Pollution turning the Taj Mahal brown |website=International Business Times |url=http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/pollution-carbon-soot-dust-discolouring-taj-mahal-1479036 |access-date=7 February 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150204182429/http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/pollution-carbon-soot-dust-discolouring-taj-mahal-1479036 |archive-date=4 February 2015 }}

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