NEW DELHI, June 25, 2005 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – A descendant of Mughal emperors has staked a claim to the ownership of Taj Mahal, one of the seven wonders of the world.

"I made this move to protect the monument from falling into the wrong hands," Prince Yaqub Habeebuddin Tucy, whose family traces its lineage to Emperor Shah Jahan who built the white marble tomb, told the Indian daily Asian Age.

"What I am interested in is this: If at all the custodianship of the Taj Mahal has to be transferred, it must go to the rightful descendant" of Emperor Jahan, he said.

Tucy demanded trusteeship of the magnificent 17th-century Taj Mahal, which he described as his "family property".

He has approached the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board, a state funded autonomous body, with records and documents supporting his royal lineage.

The eminent writer, Feroz Bakht Ahmad, said Tucy did belong to the family of Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last Mughal emperor, adding that does not give him ownership of the Taj.

"Every Indian can claim to be its owner," he said. "It cannot be the personal property of a single person".

Taj Mahal was built by Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal who asked him to build her a tomb such as the world had never seen before.

It took 23 years to complete the structure in Agra in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh (1630 - 1653) with material brought in from all over India and central Asia.

It also took a fleet of 1000 elephants to transport the material to the site, which now contains the tombs of Shah Jahan and his queen along with other tombs.

The names "Taj" and "Mahal" are of Urdu origin. Taj in Urdu means crown or diadem while Mahal means palace/edifice or a stately mansion.

Tucy's claim comes amid a heated controversy over the world monument ownership between the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which now owns and manages Taj Mahal as a national monument, and the Waqf board.

The Sunni body has recently claimed ownership of the monument, saying since it housed Muslim graves, the Taj belonged to it, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP).

A hard-line Hindu outfit, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad or World Hindu Council, has also joined the ownership race.

It claimed that Taj Mahal's builders built it after demolishing a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva, one of the most important gods in the Hindu pantheon.

The group said the monument should be declared a temple, alleging that a sealed basement in the Taj contains the "pillars and artifact of a temple".

Historical experts say there is no evidence that a Hindu temple existed on the ground where the Taj was built.

They also say the Waqf Board does not appear to have any ownership rights as it was formed only after India's independence in 1947.

As soon as the board claimed the Taj Mahal as its own, Irfan Bedar, a resident of Agra, approached the Allahabad high court claiming to be the rightful custodian of the monument.

The court directed the board to take up his petition and a decision is due later Saturday.