Agra: Two members of the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha have sparked controversy by offering Gangajal inside the Taj Mahal. The duo, identified as Virendra and Shyam, entered the monument with a bottle of Gangajal and performed a a ritual, which they claimed was a “Jalabhishek” (water offering) at the “Tejo Mahalaya Shiva temple”. The incident was captured on video and has gone viral on social media.
The right-wing organisation claims that the Taj Mahal is actually a Shiva temple called Tejo Mahalaya and has been demanding permission to perform religious rituals, including Jalabhishek, inside the monument. The organisation’s national spokesperson said that offering Ganga water is their “birthright” and that they have proven their claim by successfully performing the ritual.
Two Hindu youth’s offered Gangajal on the tomb of Taj Mahal and pasted Om Sticker 🔥#TajMahal #Agra pic.twitter.com/hilHDWmIe4
— Sumit Jaiswal 🇮🇳 (@sumitjaiswal02) August 3, 2024
Youths arrested by CISF
The video shows one of the youths carrying a bottle on his shoulder, purportedly filled with Gangajal. The youths walked through the Taj Mahal, eventually reaching the main mausoleum, where they poured the water near the basement area. In the video, the youths are seen pouring water from the bottle near the basement, after which they were arrested by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). The CISF handed them over to the Tajganj police station.
Hindu group’s long-standing claim
The Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha claims that the Taj Mahal is actually Tejo Mahalaya, a Shiva temple. The organisation has made repeated demands to conduct Jalabhishek inside the Taj Mahal, especially during the Hindu month of Shravan. The incident comes days after a woman tried to perform Jalabhishek at the Taj Mahal, carrying a Kaanvad, but was stopped by the police.
