An Agra court has received a petition from a right-wing organization asking for a prohibitory injunction to stop the Taj Mahal’s “Urs” from being observed. The free admission of “Urs” into the Taj Mahal has also been contested by the petitioner, Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha.
The petition was granted by the court, and a hearing was scheduled for March 4.
This year, the three-day ‘Urs’ event is scheduled for February 6–8.
The Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, who ordered the Taj Mahal to be built in 1653 on the banks of the Yamuna river, is remembered during this time.
Petitioner’s counsel Anil Kumar Tiwari said, “On Friday, the petitioner ABHM through its divisional head Meena Diwakar and district president Saurabh Sharma filed a petition in the Court of IV Additional Civil Judge (Junior Division) Room No 4 at Civil Court premises in Agra.”
“They have requested that the committee honoring the ‘Urs be subject to a perpetual prohibitionary injunction. Additionally, the petitioner is against the Urs being allowed free admission to the Taj Mahal.”
Speaking on behalf of the organisation, ABHM spokesperson Sanjay Jat argued that the petition was based on an RTI that showed that neither the Mughals nor the British had permitted Urs to take place inside the Taj.
“Agra city historian Raj Kishore Raje filed an RTI, which served as the basis for the petition. He questioned ASI in the RTI about who approved the “Urs” celebration and “Namaz” on the Taj Mahal grounds. Sanjay Jat told PTI that the ASI retorted, “Neither the Mughals, nor the British government, nor the Government of India, have allowed ‘Urs’ celebration in the Taj Mahal.”
“So, on that basis we have filed a petition seeking the prohibitory injunction, stopping the organisers of Shahjahan ‘Urs’ Celebration Committee, headed by Saiyyad Ibrahim Zaidi, from celebrating the ‘Urs’ at the Taj Mahal.” Among other things, the three-day “Urs” includes the “chadar poshi,” “sandal,” “gusul,” and “kul” rituals.
On the last day of the ‘Urs’, a ‘chadar’, measuring 1,880 metre or more, is offered.
