Agra (The Hawk): The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has made the decision to look into the validity of a viral video that allegedly depicts a guy doing "namaz" while a woman sits next to him in a garden area that is allegedly on the grounds of the Taj Mahal.
The supervising archaeologist for ASI's Agra circle, Raj Kumar Patel, stated: "We have come across a supposedly popular video where a man is seen doing namaz in what is believed to be the Taj Mahal's grounds.
"However, there remains uncertainty regarding the video's veracity, in particular because no one on our team at the Taj Mahal witnessed such an event. On Sunday, I was also present on the Taj Mahal grounds, but I didn't witness this happened.
The ASI officer added, "We are investigating the matter as there is a prohibition on offering 'namaz' on the Taj premises and it is only on masjid premises within the Taj compound that 'namaz' is provided every Friday, and even then, it is by people around Taj Mahal allocated passes."
In order to prevent such events from occurring on Taj Mahal property, he claimed that security checks at the monument had been increased, particularly on days when visitor attendance is higher than usual.
According to right-wing Hindu groups, the Taj Mahal was formerly a Shiv temple called Tejo Mahalaya, and they have been denouncing such instances.
(Inputs from Agencies)