Hindu Temple Architecture in the Taj Mahal
Traces of Hindu Temple Architecture in Taj Mahal
As mentioned earlier in the previous chapter that many critics have found Urdu traces and Taj building is a symbolical representation of Mughal monument only. But Professor P.N. Oak challenges such ideas and brings out a critique that the Taj Mahal is actually a Hindu Temple of Lord Shiva (Tejo-Mahalaya). As P.N Oak also theorizes that a stone inscription which is known as the Bateshwar inscription is kept in the Lucknow Museum which shows that this monument can be a temple of Lord Shiva.
It was found that the size of Mumtaz’s cenotaph is not of height of an average Islamic woman of the seventeenth century and the grave is not of appropriate dimensions. It could be said that the Shiva Linga which is considered as very sacred and holy is actually under the grave. The grave is on the first floor so it is not clear if Mumtaz’s body is really buried in Taj Mahal because bodies are usually buried in the earth and not in the flooring. This grave of Mumtaz is of the height of Hindu Shiva linga and if further digging would be allowed the result would come hence forth.
Taj Mahal bears a lot of Hinduism traces and all such marks have been pointed out by P.N. Oak in his book. On the arch of Taj Mahal’s main tomb there is a trident (trishul) which is emblem of all Hindu Temples in India and no mosque or any other Muslim monument has a trident over its tomb. All plants and trees which are present in the gardens of the Taj Mahal are sacred to Hindus like Lotus, Tulsi, Banyan trees, etc. The main patterns are drawn which are found are Bel leaves and Harshringar flowers, these are actually used as an offering to Lord Shiva.
There is a central chamber in between of eight doors which provides us the idea where the emblem of Lord Chandra-manleeshwar was present. The proper flooring of this central passage also gives us an idea that Lord Chandra- manleeshwar used to dance to worship Lord Shiva. The high doom above it is also a common feature is dripped over the Shiva linga from a bowl hanging on a certain height. Even the guides of Taj Mahal tell to all visitors about the tradition of a drop of rain water which is falling from height of the dome on the grave in the central chamber, this is actually a place from where the water used to drop on the Shiva Linga in the older times.
There are silver doors and golden railings which are in the fixtures of the Taj Mahal, clearly give the Indianness to the monument because till date we can find such fixtures in our Hindu Temples. There are some ancient Hindu colored sketches of eight directional pointers, sixteen cobras, thirty two tridents, and sixty four flowers of lotus which are in the multiple of four which is considered auspicious in Hindu religion. This sketch is designed in the Taj Mahal’s central chamber, from the grave of Mumtaz this pattern can be seen very clearly.
Even Tavernier also mentioned that the bazar used to be placed in the six courts of the Taj Mahal and this thing is everyone knows that in the tradition of Hindus fairs and bazars are set up around temples till date. On all four side entrances of the Taj Mahal, there is trident (trishul) is inlaid, which is exclusive weapon of Lord Shiva. It clearly proves that it is a Shiva temple.
Some pointed out that the Taj Mahal dome has the Arabic engraving ‘Allaho Akbar’ meaning ‘God is Great’. These words were engraved on pinnacle ordered by Shah Jahan after he took over the Hindu temple and commandeered to change in Islamic use. But the same replica of the pinnacle inlaid in the red-stone courtyard does not have that Islamic inscription. Then there are spacious decorated chambers and an adjoining long corridor with the entire length of those apartments. These chambers are basically at the lower level than the basement central chamber.
The chambers which are right under the graves of King and Queen on two floors which are sealed in a haphazard way with bricks are likely to have Hindu idols and inscriptions. The corridors which may be running under the red-stone terrace, they all are sealed. Likewise all the ventilator type openings and doors in the apartment row have also been crudely walled up under the red-stone terrace. We will be able to see the beauty of the underground apartments if those fillings are removed. It is very much possible that Taj Mahal has two floors above the river bed and one in the basement which has been sealed by Shah Jahan. ‘Taj Mahal’ is a foul form of Sanskrit ‘Tejo Mahalaya’ meaning ‘Resplendent Shrine’. This name also attach to Lord Shiva because his third eye is said to emit a fit if luster that is ‘Tejo’. Even if we look at the real meaning of the term ‘Taj Mahal’ it means a ‘crown residence’ and not a tomb.
If these graves would have been the real graves, they wouldn’t have been so much decorated because in Muslim culture graves wouldn’t have been so much decorated. The corpse of Mumtaz, if it is buried in the Taj Mahal, it cannot be in the ground floor or in the basement chamber.
There are other a Hindu symbols which are found in the Taj Mahal, like use of the sacred Hindu chant ‘OM’. ‘OM’ is crafted into the marble flower of lotus both lotus and OM are symbolically apart of Hindu culture which are present on the walls of Taj Mahal even on the so called “graves”.
Any student or scholar of architecture can clearly tell that the ‘flower’ drawn on the marbles is a part of ancient Hindu temple drawings and not of any Muslim sepulcher workmanship. There is one important point also that time or rather span of death of Mumtaz is not clear. Some historians says that, she died in 1630 or 1631or 1632 A.D., and in the illustrious sepulcher it is written that she died in 1629 A.D. It is absurdto think nobody knows the correct timing of Mumtaz’s death.
In fact, Taj Mahal has Hindu palace dimensions. Taj Mahal has many doors which are in spiked shape. There are red stone corridors, thorns and rooms all these attributes are just like typical Rajput building. ‘Ghat’ which is very common in temple palace, exists in Taj Mahal. Gateways of the Taj Mahal which are now closed were earlier the place to bathe in the river and go boating.
Many rooms in the Taj Mahal complex are the drum houses. These drum houses are a part of Rajputana architecture. It is obvious that in memorial place no drum houses are planned to make, and there is no music places made in any Islamic buildings, music is actually restricted, hence the drum houses clearly prove the hand of Hinduism in the Taj Mahal.
There are so many rooms for guests, army detachments, waiters, caterers etc for any royal purposes. Such architecture is never used in making any tomb. All the walls and doors are also in Hindu dimension, like silver doors which have been discussed earlier. In the Taj Mahal there are four towers at the each doorway. The top of the tower is made up by brass Kalases. Kalases is a Sanskrit word and this word can never be connected to any tomb and also does not fit the Taj building architecture. ‘Kalas’ signifies a shinning pinnacle made up by brass or gold. This word only comes in a connection of temples or any Hindu palace but Taj Mahal’s top of the tower uses similar material and hence this also gives us the hint of Temple like palace instead of a burial tomb.
Three different scientific tests took place to find out the actualities of Taj Mahal. First one is Donodo chronology, in this test wood sample is taken of respective historic building. Second one is Thermoluminescence, in this test a brick powder or whole brick is taken and find out when this brick was baked. This test is very helpful in finding the age of the historic buildings. Third test is Carbon-14 test; this test is helpful in finding out the actual age of any living organism like wood piece or bone.
Professor Mills from New York took the Carbon-14 test by taking out small wooden piece of one of the Taj Mahal’s wooden door. This report published in the Itihas Patrika. It was found out that the probable age of the sample is from 1448 and 1270 A.D. This test clearly proves that the Taj Mahal existed much before Shah Jahan. But here I would like to tell readers clearly that the age which was proved in the test was of the Northeastern doorway and not of the Taj Mahal’s marble. In this chapter, many examples have been discussed which clearly tell that Taj Mahal is basically a Hindu ancient temple (Tejo Mahalaya) and not a tomb.
