New Delhi: The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) on Tuesday banned visitors and guides from carrying water bottles into the Taj Mahal’s main mausoleum after repeated incidents of ‘jalabhishek’ (religious water ritual) by members of various right-wing groups. Carrying water bottles has been prohibited from the Taj’s Chameli Farsh to the main dome area, The Times of India reported.
Two members of the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha were arrested on Saturday for offering Ganga water at the mausoleum, claiming the
monument was a Shiva temple before being converted to a mausoleum by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, the report added.
Additionally, on the third Monday of Sawan, Meera Rathore, the district president of the Mahasabha’s women’s wing, performed ‘jalabhishek’ and hoisted a saffron flag at the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the report added.
The move to ban water inside the Taj has come in for criticism from some quarters.
To the criticism of the move adversely affecting tourism, ASI superintending archaeologist Rajkumar Patel assured that visitors would not face inconvenience as staff stationed at the main mausoleum have been provided with small water bottles, the report said.
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