Amid controversy, ASI releases pictures of closed rooms of Taj Mahal - Check here

The Allahabad High Court last week dismissed a plea seeking a ''fact-finding inquiry'' into the history of the Taj Mahal and the opening doors of its 22 rooms to see “the truth, whatever it is, saying the petitioner failed to point out which of his legal or constitutional rights were being infringed.

TN National Desk

Updated May 19, 2022, 19:58 IST

Taj Mahal

Photo : PTI

New Delhi: Amid the controversy over the '22 closed rooms' of Taj Mahal, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) released pictures of some of the underground rooms of the monument which were opened in January for the restoration work.

The photographs of the restoration work were included in the ASI’s January newsletter, which was uploaded on May 5 on their website, days ahead of the court's order.

ASI superintending archeologist (Agra circle) Raj Kumar Patel said pictures of the restoration work done by authorities between December 2021 and March 2022 were now available on ASI’s website “for everyone to view”, TOI reported.

“The maintenance work of underground cells on the riverside of the Taj Mahal was taken up a few months ago. Decayed and disintegrated lime plaster was removed and a fresh coat laid. Traditional lime processing took place before application,” said the ASI website.

Taj Mahal rooms - Photo courtesy: ASI Newsletter

Plea demands opening of 22 rooms of Taj Mahal

Earlier this month, Rajneesh Singh, who is the media in-charge of the BJP's Ayodhya unit, seeking directions to the ASI to probe the 22 closed doors in the Taj Mahal to ascertain the presence of the idols of Hindu deities. The plea sought the constitution of a fact-finding committee and the submission of a report by the ASI.

During the hearing, the Lucknow bench of justices DK Upadhyay and Subhash Vidyarthi said, "We are of the opinion that petitioner has called upon us to give a verdict on a completely non-justiciable issue.

"The first prayer (to constitute a fact-finding committee to study "real history" of Taj Mahal) cannot be adjudicated by this court," the bench said.

The petitioner cited claims by certain historians that the structure is actually an old Shiva Temple and urged the court to permit the ASI to form a special team and examine the rooms that have been locked for centuries.

Singh had previously said that the intention of the petition was not to make the Taj Mahal a Shiva Temple but to unearth the truth behind the closed doors for social harmony.

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