According to some theories, Taj Mahal was never the architectural embodiment of eternal love history remembers it as. Instead, some evidence suggests that the building is actually about 300 years older than its supposed builder. New Delhi professor P.N. Oak, the man behind this theory, claims that the building was originally not a mausoleum at all. He suggests it is actually an ancient Hindu temple known as Tejo Mahalaya dedicated to the worship of the god Shiva. If true, this turns the entire history of TaJ Mahal on its head: Instead of building one of the world’s most precious constructions, Shah Jahan would merely have taken an existing temple, slapped on some decorations, and dedicated it to his wife.
While this may seem far-fetched to those of us who like Taj Mahal as it is, it’s worth noticing that Indian royalty have a history of capturing enemy temples and mansions and repurposing them into tombs for their loved ones. What’s more, the memoirs of travelers in the area during the time of Taj Mahal’s supposed construction make no mention of its building and even note that the “Taj” already existed as an important, established building. Is Taj Mahal as the ultimate display of romance just a giant lie created by shoddy historians and propagandists? Until the Indian government agrees to open the sealed rooms within the building so they can be thoroughly investigated by experts, the mystery remains.
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