Allahabad High Court Hears Plea Seeking Survey of Taj Mahal Amid Tejo Mahalaya Claim

The Allahabad High Court has taken up a petition challenging an Agra court’s refusal to appoint an advocate-commissioner to inspect and document the Taj Mahal, in a long-running legal dispute over claims that the monument was originally an ancient Hindu temple known as “Tejo Mahalaya.”

According to the plea, the petitioners, representing the deity Lord Sri Agreshwar Mahadev through advocate Hari Shankar Jain, contend that the structure was built during 1155-56 AD under Rajput rulers and was later modified by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. The petition cites 109 architectural and historical features, including lotus motifs and references to a gaushala in historical records, as evidence supporting its claim.

The dispute stems from a civil suit filed in 2015 seeking a declaration that the Taj Mahal is a Hindu temple and requesting the right to perform pooja at the site under Article 25 of the Constitution of India, which guarantees freedom of religion.

The petitioners have argued that an advocate-commissioner should be appointed to inspect and document the monument to preserve evidence and assist the court in determining the historical nature of the structure. However, the Agra court rejected the request, prompting the appeal before the Allahabad High Court.

The matter was listed for hearing in the High Court shortly after the developments reported on July 4, 2026. The court is expected to consider whether an inspection should be permitted as part of the ongoing legal proceedings.

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has consistently maintained that the Taj Mahal is a 17th-century Mughal mausoleum built by Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal. The claims describing the monument as the ancient Hindu temple “Tejo Mahalaya” remain disputed and have not been accepted by Indian courts as established fact.