Home » Islamic Rule in India

Was the Taj Mahal a Vedic Temple?

13 July 2004 279 views 4 Comments

Click here for the source website

The Photographic Evidence

This presents photographs (listed below) that show the Vedic influence found in such buildings as the Taj Mahal, Red Fort, and other structures in India. It also presents photos of drawings and art that have been discovered from other parts of the world, such as Arabia, Egypt, Greece and Italy, that show a definite Vedic influence. No matter whether you accept all of this or not, it nonetheless makes for an extremely fascinating and interesting story. Take a look and decide for yourself what you think. Also, let other people know about these, or download them to print and use them for your own displays in your temple, office or home.

We have all heard how the Taj Mahal, which is considered one of the great wonders of the world, was built as the preeminent expression of a man’s love for a wife. That it was built by emperor Shah Jahan in commemoration of his wife Mumtaz. However, in our continuous effort to get to the truth, we have recently acquired some very important documents and information. There is evidence that the Taj Mahal was never built by Shah Jahan. Some say the Taj Mahal pre-dates Shah Jahan by several centuries and was originally built as a Hindu or Vedic temple/palace complex. Shah Jahan merely acquired it from its previous owner, the Hindu King Jai Singh.

This controversy is something I have explained more thoroughly in my book, “Proof of Vedic Culture’s Global Existence.” So, for those who want to know the details of this issue, you can find it there. And here is the photographic evidence that will provide greater insights into this. The point to consider is how much more of India’s history has been distorted if the background of such a grand building is so inaccurate.

These photographs are taken from an album that was found and then smuggled out of India. On the back of each photo there is a stamp mark that says, “Archaeology Survey of India.” This signifies their authenticity and that they were the property of that institution. This means a number of things: That the Archaeology Survey of India (ASI) has been researching the evidence that proves the Taj Mahal and many other buildings were not of Muslim origin, and that they know this information but remain silent about it. It also shows that in spite of this evidence they refuse to open up further research that would reveal the true nature and originality of the buildings, and lead to understanding another part of the real history and glory of India. This attitude is something that must be changed.

It is because of the manipulation of history by invaders that the true greatness of India and Vedic culture has been stifled or hidden. And it is time that people everywhere realize how numerous lies and false propaganda have been passed around as if it were the truth in regard to India and its past, as well as its art, archeology, and the wonder of its culture. India and its Vedic society was one of the preeminent civilizations of the world, as I explained in “Proof of Vedic Culture’s Global Existence.” Now, through the increasing amount of revealing evidence that is being uncovered, that greatness of India’s past and its contributions to the world are gradually being recognized. It is because of this that it is now time to rewrite the history of India.

These photos are black and white and were found in a simple photo album in India. Except for old age and some water damage on some of them (creating white spots in areas), most are still in relatively good condition. Each photograph was accompanied by a typed caption taped in the album near the photo, each of which gives a very interesting explanation of the subject and the Vedic influence recognized on the building and what it means. The captions accompany the photos on the following pages just as they were written in the album, so the style of English and the explanations are kept the same. They are obviously written from an Indian perspective. Whatever
I may say about the photos are displayed in brackets [ ]. Otherwise I let the captions and photos speak for themselves. Some of these photos will show areas of the Taj where the public has no access, or what is rarely seen or noticed. [However, due to occasional high traffic of people viewing the same photos at times, sometimes the photos do not appear on the screen. So if you get a message saying this page is not viewable at this time, try again later or try a different photo.]

ADDITIONAL ONLINE ARTICLES
“The Question of the Taj Mahal” (Itihas Patrika, vol 5, pp. 98-111, 1985) by P. S. Bhat and A. L. Athavale is a profound and thoroughly researched and well balanced paper on the Taj Mahal controversy. This paper goes well with the photographs listed below. It uncovers the reasons for the rumors and assumptions of why it is said that Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal, and presents all the inconsistencies of why that theory doesn’t hold up. It also covers such things as the descriptions found in the old Agra court papers on the Taj; descriptions and measurements of the building in the old records; Aurangzeb’s letter of the much needed repairs even in 1632 which is unlikely for a new building; records that reveal Shah Jahan acquired marble but was it enough for really building the Taj or merely for inlay work and decorative coverings; the observations of European travelers at the time; the actual age of the Taj; how the architecture is definitely of Indian Hindu orientation and could very well have been designed as a Shiva temple; the issue of the arch and the dome; how the invader Timurlung (1398) took back thousands of prisoner craftsmen to build his capital at Samarkhand and where the dome could have been incorporated into Islamic architecture; how it was not Shah Jahan’s religious tolerance that could have been a reason for Hindu elements in the design of the Taj; how the direction of the mosque does not point toward Mecca as most mosques do; the real purpose of the minarets at the Taj; the Hindu symbolism recognized in the Taj which would not have been allowed if it was truly Muslim built; and even as late as 1910 the Encyclopaedia Britannica included the statement by Fergusson that the building was previously a palace before becoming a tomb for Shah Jahan; and more.

A most interesting paper. “An Architect Looks at the Taj Mahal Legend” by Marvin Mills, is a great review of the information available on the Taj Mahal and raises some very interesting questions that make it obvious that the Taj could not have been built the way or during the time that history presents, which makes it more like a fable than accurate history. This suggests a construction date of 1359 AD, about 300 years before Shah Jahan.

Mr. P. N. Oak is another who has done much research into this topic. He has presented his own conclusions in his books, most notably Taj Mahal–The True Story (ISBN: 0-9611614-4-2). You can order his books from the Publisher: A. Ghosh, 5720 W. Little York # 216, Houston, Texas, 77091. Here is a summary of evidence that shows Shah Jahan did not build the Taj Mahal, but that it was originally built at least 500 years earlier in 1155 AD by Raja Paramardi Dev as a Vedic temple. It provides an overview of the research by P. N. Oak and lists the 109 proofs of how the Taj Mahal was a pre-existing Hindu temple palace: http://www.caribbeanhindu.com/taj_mahal.htm.

This site gives the BBC’s view on the Taj Mahal and briefly explains both sides of the story, that maybe Shah Jahan built the Taj and maybe he didn’t: http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A5220. The Letter of Aurangzeb ordering repairs on the old Taj Mahal in the year just before it is said to have been completed. The Badshahnama is the history written by the Emporer’s own chronicler. This page shows how Aurangzeb had acquired the Taj from the prevous owner, Jai Singh, grandson of Raja Mansingh, after selcting this site for the burial of Queen Mumtaz. THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The following photographs are divided according to content and accessed through the links. Click on the photo number for access:

Now for the Next Section:
The Photographic Evidence of the Vedic Influence Found in the Red Fort and Other Buildings in Delhi and India, as well as in Drawings and Art from Elsewhere in the World.

Photographs can be accessed at please copy and paste this link in your browser

FacebookTwitterHotmailYahoo MailYahoo MessengerPrintShare

4 Comments »

  • 1. M Singh said:

    Why would Hindu’s build a temple in a persian/islamic style? You are simply wasting bandwidth with this idiocy.

  • 2. B Shantanu said:

    Thanks for your comment but I am not sure you have seen the photographs or studied the subtleties of the architecture.

    The other point is that several secular buildings in the Mughal times had strong Persian influence – so just because the building has some Persian features does not necessarily mean that it was contructed by Shah Jahan (which is my MAIN point of contention).

    The article that you read above is from Stephen Knapp’s website and written by him. There is another one which I have written which looks at this in some more detail. My current hypothesis is that it was not a Hindu temple but a palace built by a Rajput ruler (possibly Raja ManSingh) see this link (or type Taj Mahal in the search box on my site) for more:

    http://hindudharma.wordpress.com/2005/11/07/taj-mahal-the-biggest-whitewash-in-indian-history/

  • 3. Raj said:

    One should not look at everything from a religious prespective. Religion is like profession. In Buddhism it says that anything that begins does eventually end.

  • 4. B Shantanu said:

    Courtesy Sh Krishen Kak, this recent article from NatureIn same measures: Harappa to Taj

    A researcher analysing designs of historical buildings and monuments of India has made a profound discovery. He has shown that the unit of length used by the builders through the ages surprisingly remained the same for over 3900 years. This reveals a new dimension in metrology — the science of measurement — in the Indian subcontinent.
    From the Harappan settlements of 2000 B. C. and the Delhi Iron Pillar of Gupta period (320–600 AD) to the 17th century Taj Mahal, the unit ‘angulam’ had remained the standard of measurement in engineering plans, says Ramamurthy Balasubramaniam from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Kanpur.

    Angulam and its multiples vitasti (12 angulams) and dhanus (108 angulams) find mention in the Indian treatise Arthasastra by Kautilya who codified the metrology that was prevalent around 300 B.C. But the exact value of angulam was derived only in 2008 by Michel Danino, the French author who made India his home.

    Danino who studied the Dolavira settlement — the largest Harappan civilization site in India — found1 that the dimensions used were exact multiples of 1.904 metre, a unit that he assumed to be the dhanus mentioned in Arthasastra. Further, taking dhanus to be 108 angulams, Danino derived the value of angulam to be 1.763 cm.
    Balasubramaniam, a professor of materials and metallurgical engineering, says he got interested in metrology after Danino’s derivation of the value of angulam and his own observation2 that a terracotta scale of Harappan civilisation from Kalibangan, that was given to him for analysis, indicated markings of 1.75 cm.

    “Seeing 1.75 cm markings on the Harappan scale and Danino’s derived value of 1.763 cm for angulam no doubt excited me,” Balasubramaniam told Nature India. “That prompted me to carry out dimensional analysis of some of India’s historical structures to see if their builders used a standardised unit of measurement,” he said.

    Balasubramaniam who studied the 1600 year old Delhi Iron Pillar3 found that its dimensions “matched remarkably well” with the units of angulam and dhanus of the Harappan civilization. “For example, the total height of the pillar is precisely four dhanus and several measures come out as whole numbers of vitasti,” he said.

    The IIT professor had also carried out dimensional analysis of the earliest engineered caves at Barabar and Nagarjuni Hills in Bihar (Ashokan period, 300 B. C.), the Gupta Temple at Deogarh in Uttar Pradesh (6th century AD) and very recently4 the Taj Mahal in Agra.
    “All these studies confirm the use of a constant basic measurement unit of angulam,” the IIT professor said. “What is surprising is the fact that the constant of 1.763 cm, when matched for the angulam, leads to the realisation of the other multiples,” Balasubramaniam said, “and surprisingly, important historical structures of the Indian subcontinent show a more than good match with these multiples.”

    For instance he found4 that the modular plan of the Taj Mahal complex is based on use of grids of sides measuring 60 and 90 vitasti. The mausoleum was designed on a master square of 270 vitasti to the side – a number that allows the area to be divided into nine smaller squares of side 90 vitasti.
    “Further subdivision of the 90 vitasti length in thirds is evident in the length of the large arched doors (60 vitasti) and the small arched doors (30 vitasti) on each (outer) face of the mausoleum,” Balasubramaniam explained. “We now know that the modular design and architecture of the Taj is based on Indian principles and there is nothing foreign in the design plan,” Balasubramaniam said.

    According to Balasubramaniam, the important outcome of his research is that it has establishes the continuity of metrological tradition from the Harappan civilisation down to pre-modern India indicated by the fact that the unit of angulam matches so well the dimensions of important monuments.
    “This implies an unbroken engineering tradition in the use of the angulam over a period of more than 3900 years which is really amazing,” he said. The tradition was broken with the adoption of British units in early twentieth century. “With the new knowledge we can now analyse all the important ancient structures in India, using 1.763 cm as the standard with different multiplying units. This work will open a new chapter in metrological studies,” he said.
    But how did the angulam knowledge get transmitted through the ages to maintain continuity? “It is reasonable to propose that the workers were following some kind of scale that was handed over through generations,” says Balasubramaniam. “Otherwise, such a good match of the dimensions cannot be due to chance.”
    ·
    References
    1. Danino, M. New insights into Harappan town-planning, proportions, and units, with special reference to Dholavira. Man Environ. 33, 66-79 (2008)
    2. Balasubramaniam, R. et al. Analysis of terracotta scale of Harappan civilization from Kalibangan. Curr. Sci. 95, 588-589 (2008)
    3. Balasubramaniam, R. On the mathematical significance of the dimensions of the Delhi Iron Pillar. Curr. Sci. 95, 766-770 (2008)
    4. Balasubramaniam, R. New insights on the modular planning of the Taj Mahal. Curr. Sci. 97, 42-49 (2009)

Share your thoughts below.

Add your comment below, or trackback from your own site. You can also subscribe to these comments via RSS.

Share your opinions responsibly. Stay on topic. Please note that by posting a comment, you indicate consent to the terms and conditions of this site. First-timers, please read the comments policy here

You can use these tags:
<a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>

This is a Gravatar-enabled weblog. To get your own globally-recognized-avatar, please register at Gravatar.