Police Prevent Hindu Mahasabha from Performing Jalabhishek at Taj Mahal

Police on Monday stopped members of the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha from performing jalabhishek at the Taj Mahal on the first Monday of the holy month of Shravan, preventing the group from entering the UNESCO World Heritage monument with Ganga water amid heavy security.

Led by Agra district president Meera Rathore, Hindu Mahasabha office bearers and 11 women kanwariyas reached the Taj Mahal's western gate at around 7 am carrying Ganga water to offer it to Lord Shiva. Police personnel deployed at the monument blocked their entry, leading to a brief verbal exchange before escorting the group under security to the nearby Rajeshwar Mahadev Temple, where they completed the ritual.

Tajganj Station House Officer Neeraj Kumar Sharma said the devotees were safely taken to the temple to ensure law and order. No arrests, injuries or untoward incidents were reported.

The Hindu Mahasabha has long claimed that the Taj Mahal is Tejo Mahalaya, an ancient Shiva temple, and has repeatedly sought permission to perform Hindu rituals inside the monument. The claim is disputed by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), historians and the Union government, which have consistently maintained that the Taj Mahal is a 17th century Mughal mausoleum. Indian courts have also repeatedly declined to accept petitions seeking recognition of the monument as a Hindu temple or ordering surveys to establish such claims.

However, a related civil suit filed in Agra in 2015 remains pending, while the Allahabad High Court recently issued notices on a petition challenging the rejection of a request for an advocate commissioner to survey the monument. The High Court has not expressed any view on the merits of the claims.

Rathore said the organisation would continue its campaign and attempt to perform jalabhishek on the remaining three Mondays of the Sawan month. Authorities are expected to maintain heightened security at the Taj Mahal during upcoming Shravan observances to prevent similar protests.