A right-wing organization, the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha, has submitted a plea in an Agra court, seeking a restraining order against the annual ‘Urs’ observance at the Taj Mahal. The petition also challenges the provision of free entry for ‘Urs’ within the Taj Mahal premises. The court has accepted the petition, scheduling a hearing for March 4. The three-day ‘Urs’ event, commemorating the death of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, who commissioned the Taj Mahal in 1653, is set to take place from February 6 to February 8.
According to the petitioner’s counsel, Anil Kumar Tiwari, the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha is seeking a permanent prohibitory injunction against the committee organizing the ‘Urs.’ They are also contesting the free entry for the event at the Taj Mahal. The organization argues that neither the Mughals, nor the British, allowed Urs celebrations inside the Taj Mahal. The petition is based on an RTI inquiry, revealing that historical authorities did not permit ‘Urs’ celebrations in the Taj Mahal.
A spokesperson for the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha, Sanjay Jat, highlighted that the petition is grounded in an RTI filed by historian Raj Kishore Raje. The RTI inquiry uncovered that neither the Mughals, the British government, nor the Government of India allowed ‘Urs’ celebrations in the Taj Mahal. The organization aims to stop the Shahjahan ‘Urs’ Celebration Committee, led by Saiyyad Ibrahim Zaidi, from conducting the ‘Urs’ at the Taj Mahal through this legal action. The ‘Urs’ rituals include ‘chadar poshi,’ ‘sandal,’ ‘gusul,’ and ‘kul’ over the three-day period, culminating in the offering of a large ‘chadar’ on the final day.
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