
For several hundred years, the Taj Mahal has been considered a symbol of love by many along with it being designated as one of the seven wonders of the world.
For the last few decades there have been claims about the structure being built over a temple. The latest to join the claim about the Taj Mahal that goes against what has been taught to many is Kapil Mishra who says people are made to believe the structure is built by Shah Jahan.
The leader whose name also came to light during the Delhi riots in February, took to Twitter, posted a picture describing the structure in support of his claim and wrote, "All scientific evidences prove that Taj Mahal is Tejo Mahalaya, ancient Hindu vedic temple For 300 years the world was fooled to believe that Taj Mahal was built by the Shahjahan."
Like Mishra, many right-wing Hindu leaders think of the structure as a temple dedicated to worshippers of Lord Shiva, stating it has housed a Shivaling. Many have even petitioned seeking permission to carry out 'aarti' and 'darshan'.
As per records, the mausoleum was commissioned in 1632 and was completed in 1653. The project employed 20,000 artisans. It was built at an estimated cost of Rs 32 million at that time and the same would cost nearly Rs 70 billion in 2020.
The monument 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".
The Taj Mahal attracts 7–8 million visitors a year.
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