India has once again witnessed controversy surrounding the Taj Mahal, the iconic monument of love, after a film poster showed a Hindu idol emerging from its dome.
Veteran Bollywood actor Paresh Rawal shared the poster of his upcoming movie “The Taj Story” on social media, where the image displayed a Shiva idol appearing from the Taj Mahal’s dome. The poster triggered outrage online, with social media users strongly criticizing the move and accusing the filmmakers of distorting history. Facing intense backlash, Rawal deleted the poster and released a clarification from the film’s production team.
The team stated that “The Taj Story” is not a religious film and does not claim that the Taj Mahal was originally a temple. British historian William Dalrymple also dismissed such claims, calling them “ridiculous, malicious nonsense.”
This is not the first time the Taj Mahal has been dragged into controversy. Over the years, various claims have surfaced, including assertions that the monument was once a Hindu temple or that it was built on temple land. These arguments trace back to self-styled historian P. N. Oak’s 1989 book, in which he claimed that a Hindu king had constructed a monument on the same site long before the Mughals. His theory, however, has been widely discredited by scholars.
Indian historian Dr. Rachika Sharma recently took to social media to reject such claims, reaffirming that the Taj Mahal remains a Mughal-era masterpiece and a symbol of enduring love.
