'The Taj Story' teaser sparks debate on monument's origins
The teaser for The Taj Story, starring Paresh Rawal and set for release on October 31, 2025, is reviving the long-running debate about the Taj Mahal's origins.
In the teaser, Rawal sits before the monument and says, "For some, it is a tomb and for some, it is a temple."
A promotional poster for the film shows him lifting the dome to reveal a Shiva idol underneath.
Courts have confirmed that Taj is a Mughal tomb
The idea that the Taj was once a Shiva temple called Tejo Mahalaya was first pushed by historian P.N. Oak in 1989.
But courts—including India's Supreme Court—and the Archaeological Survey of India have repeatedly confirmed that the Taj Mahal is a 17th-century Mughal tomb.
Even so, petitions and political debates keep popping up—like one in 2022 asking to open sealed rooms in search of Hindu relics (which was rejected by a local court).