Allahabad HC Asks Centre, ASI to Reply on Taj Mahal Temple Claim

The Allahabad High Court has directed the central government and the Archaeological Survey of India to respond to a petition alleging the existence of a temple within the Taj Mahal complex.

The court issued the order on a plea that claims the Taj Mahal was originally a Hindu temple and that evidence of the temple remains inside the monument.

The petition seeks a survey of the Taj Mahal to verify the claims and demands the restoration of the site for Hindu worship.

The court has given the Centre and the ASI four weeks to file their replies and posted the matter for further hearing after that period.

The Taj Mahal, a UNESCO World Heritage site, was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in the 17th century and is widely regarded as a masterpiece of Mughal architecture.