Battle for Taj Mahal continues between Shia and Sunni sect leaders
According to an ASI official, about 30 years back they had opposed construction of shops beneath the Jama Masjid. But the Board paid no heed. "As a result, foundation of the mosque has become too weak to stand for the next 100 years," the officer told MAIL TODAY.
Even as the battle for Taj Mahal continues between Shia and Sunni sect leaders, a section of Shia leaders have upped the ante. They have strongly opposed Uttar Pradesh minister Azam Khan's recent demand that the 17th-century monument be handed over to the Central Sunni Waqf Board in the state.
Syed Faiyyaz Haidar, president of Lucknow-based Imam-e-Raza Committee said, "Taj Mahal should be given to us. Mumtaz was a Shia whose real name was Arjuman Bano. Taj's architecture evidences its Shia connection. There is a water tank near the mosque, which is located on the west side of the mausoleum. We all know that Shias perform ablution from the water tanks before offering prayer. The hall on the east side was for self-flagellation during Muharram," he said and reminded that Mumtaz's body was exhumed in Burhanpur (where she died) and brought to Taj Mahal in a casket for burial, which was a Shia custom.
"We don't want the earnings from Taj Mahal. All we want is permission to do self-flagellation on the occasion of Muharram," Haidar added.
Amid the demands and counter-demands, MAIL TODAY visited certain historic structures that are controlled by the Uttar Pradesh Central Sunni Waqf Board. In all the cases, it is the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) that maintains the structures, while the Waqf Board does nothing substantial.
Take for example the Jama Masjid in Agra which was constructed by Emperor Shah Jahan. He had dedicated this mosque to his daughter Jahanara Begum. Now the Uttar Pradesh Central Sunni Waqf Board controls the mosque. There are 82 shops on its premises from where the Board collects a rent of Rs. 17,000 every month. But it is the ASI which maintains this building with its own resources.
According to an ASI official, about 30 years back they had opposed construction of shops beneath the Jama Masjid. But the Board paid no heed. "As a result, foundation of the mosque has become too weak to stand for the next 100 years," the officer told MAIL TODAY.
It's a similar story for the Dargah at Fatehpur Sikri. While the Waqf Board corners its earnings, it is the ASI which maintains the property without any support from the Board.
Mohammad Irfan Bedar - who had moved the Allahabad High Court in 2004 to make him Taj Mahal's caretaker - said, "I wonder how minister Azam Khan can be so ill-informed. Besides the 1,602 Sunni waqf properties, there are 80 structures owned by the Shia Central Waqf Board in Agra. There are 700 unregistered historic properties in Agra. But Azam Khan doesn't want to know about them, let alone renovate them. Majority of these structures are weakening because of unauthorised constructions around them under the patronage of the Board."
He further said, "Azam has said many a times in the past that he hated kings and their opulence. So he wants to take revenge on Shah Jahan by taking over Taj and making it defunct like other waqf properties. I want to save the 'monument of love' by fulfilling Shah Jahan's dream. He had built it to support the poor people of Agra."
His views were echoed by All-India Shia Personal Law Board spokesperson Yasub Abbas who said Taj Mahal is a heritage structure which cannot be handed over to the waqf boards, be it of the Sunnis or the Shias. "We don't agree to such demands of the Sunnis or the Shias. Although it is true that Mumtaz was a Shia, Taj Mahal is a heritage site. The Sunni and Shia waqf boards cannot manage their existing properties. So any demand to control Taj Mahal is unjust. They should spare the Taj Mahal," Abbas said.