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<p id="isPasted" style="line-height: 2;"><span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><strong>ISLAMABAD:&nbsp;A fresh controversy has erupted in India after veteran Bollywood actor <strong id="isPasted">Paresh Rawal</strong> shared a poster for his upcoming film <em>&ldquo;The Taj Story,&rdquo;</em> depicting a statue of the Hindu deity <strong>Shiva</strong> emerging from the dome of the <strong>Taj Mahal</strong>. The imagery has drawn criticism for distorting historical facts and reviving long-standing claims that challenge the monument&rsquo;s Mughal origins.</strong></span></p><p style="line-height: 2;"><br></p><div class="fr-embed responsive-video"><div class="video-wrapper aspect-video"><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-2" src="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPLxLkdAY9q/embed/captioned/?cr=1&v=14&wp=405&rd=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com&rp=%2Farticles%2Fnew#%7B%22ci%22%3A2%2C%22os%22%3A15904377%2C%22ls%22%3A1031.3999999910593%2C%22le%22%3A1550.8999999910593%7D" allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="width: 100%; height: 100%; min-height: 0px;" height="2341"><span class="fr-mk" style="display: none;">&nbsp;</span><span class="fr-mk" style="display: none;">&nbsp;</span></iframe></div></div><p style="line-height: 2;"><br></p><p style="line-height: 2;"><span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Rawal faced heavy criticism from social media users who called the imagery misleading and disrespectful. Following the backlash, he released a clarification on behalf of the production team. The statement said the film was not religious in nature and did not claim that the Taj Mahal was built on the site of a temple.</span></p><div class="fr-embed responsive-video"><div class="video-wrapper aspect-video"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-2" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1972688338965475601&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=332393a6d63ee5cb56b26a76962333a0f8dbe11b&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="width: 550px; height: 729px; min-height: 0px; position: static; visibility: visible;"><span class="fr-mk" style="display: none;">&nbsp;</span></iframe></div></div></div><p style="line-height: 2;"><span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">British historian William Dale Rumpel also weighed in, dismissing the claims that the Taj Mahal replaced a Shiva temple as &ldquo;ridiculous and malicious nonsense.&rdquo;</span></p><p style="line-height: 2;"><br></p><p style="line-height: 2;"><span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The Taj Mahal, built in the 17th century by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan as a mausoleum for his wife Mumtaz Mahal, has repeatedly been the subject of political and historical disputes in India. Critics say the disputes are fueled by attempts to rewrite history.</span></p><p style="line-height: 2;"><br></p><p style="line-height: 2;"><span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The controversy traces back to a 1989 book by a self-proclaimed historian who argued that the Taj Mahal site once hosted a Hindu temple. The claims have since resurfaced periodically, with some Indian political figures demanding investigations into the monument&rsquo;s origins.</span></p><p style="line-height: 2;"><br></p><p style="line-height: 2;"><span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">In 2022, petitioner Rajneesh Singh asked the High Court to open 22 locked rooms of the Taj Mahal in search of Hindu idols. That same year, Bharatiya Janata Party lawmaker Diya Kumari claimed the land on which the Taj Mahal stands belonged to her ancestors.</span></p><p style="line-height: 2;"><br></p><p style="line-height: 2;"><span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Despite repeated disputes, the monument continues to be recognized globally as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most famous symbols of love.</span></p>

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 A new controversy has emerged in India surrounding the Taj Mahal after senior Bollywood actor Paresh Rawal shared a poster for his upcoming film “The Taj Story,” which depicted a statue of the Hindu deity Shiva emerging from the dome of the monument.

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Indian actor Paresh Rawal sparks controversy over Taj Mahal origins