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PREFACE
Prof.P.N.Oak of New Delhi, put forward a theory in 1965 that
the Taj Mahal was not a mausoleum built by Shahjahan but a Rajput Palace.
In 1968 he found a confession to that effect in Shahjahan's official chronicle
Badshahnama and in 1974 he came across Au rangzeb's letter of 1652 [the
year when Taj Mahal is supposed to have been just completed] complaining
that Taj Mahal was leaking all over. In 1978 I read his extended book The
Taj Mahal is a Temple Palace. Over the next two years I went through all
th e references and was convinced of his assertion. My paper Taj Mahal-
Simple Analysis of a Great Deception was appreciated by some prominent
European scholars in 1980.
Dr V V Bedekar of Thane [India] started a historical quarterly
named itihas patrika in March 1982. He published my paper on Taj Mahal
in the first issue of the quarterly. He also published my extended paper
as a booklet in March 1986
In 1981 my research went deeper. I asked myself, " Were the British
scholars just a third neutral party who were misled by the prolonged misuse
of Hindu buildings as Mosques and Tombs and were not cunning enough to
see through chauvinistic Muslim claims ?
Or did they know the truth about Taj Mahal and other monuments all along
but had, for political reasons, vowed to hide the truth ? "
By the end of 1981 I prepared an eighty page dossier on the subject.
When I placed the information in a chronological order I was surprised
at my findings. There was a British conspiracy of suppression of truth
about Taj Mahal and other monuments over the last 200 years. The main personalities
involved either knew each other and/or referred to works of each other.
As the time passed by new information came to light which confirmed my
findings. Some important, contemporary events were added to give the rea
ders a better picture of the times. These may be ignored if reader is not
familiar with them
The Chronology was serialised in the itihas patrika during September
1983 and September 1985. It is now being made available as a thesis, with
some modifications and additions to the original series
My Architect friends M/s Paithankar and Pradhan suggested improvements
to presentation and checked my typing meticulously. My wife Mrs Vinita
and my daughters Vaidehi and Varsha supported me throughout. Dr Bedekar
has made this publication possible. I am grateful to them all
V.S.Godbole
14 Turnberry Walk
Bedford, MK 41 8 AZ
U.K
10 January 1994
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