No 'Tejo Mahalaya' survey for Taj Mahal: Allahabad HC rejects plea for ASI study over temple claims

Published 6 July 2026 · india

The Allahabad High Court has dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) survey of the Taj Mahal to examine

The Allahabad High Court has dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) survey of the Taj Mahal to examine claims that the monument was originally a Hindu temple known as "Tejo Mahalaya". According to LiveLaw, a bench comprising Chief Justice Arun Bhansali and Justice Kshitij Shailendra refused to entertain the petition, holding that it found no justification to order a fresh survey of the 17th-century monument. The petitioner had urged the court to direct the ASI to carry out a scientific and historical survey of the Taj Mahal and investigate claims that it was built over an ancient Shiva temple.

The plea also sought directions to determine the "true historical character" of the monument through an expert examination. However, as reported by LiveLaw, the high court dismissed the PIL, observing that there was no merit in the reliefs sought. The petition forms part of a series of legal attempts over the years questioning the historical origins of the Taj Mahal. Proponents of the "Tejo Mahalaya" theory claimed that the monument existed as a Shiva temple before the Mughal period and was later converted into a mausoleum. These claims have remained controversial and have not been accepted by the ASI or endorsed by Indian courts.

According to LiveLaw, the high court was not inclined to reopen the issue through judicial intervention or direct a fresh archaeological exercise. The Taj Mahal, located in Agra, was commissioned by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal and completed in the 17th century. It is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is among India's most visited historical monuments. The ASI, which maintains the site, has consistently described it as a Mughal-era mausoleum based on historical records and archaeological evidence. This is not the first time the Allahabad High Court has declined to entertain petitions seeking to revisit the monument's history.

According to LiveLaw, the court has, in earlier proceedings, indicated that questions relating to historical interpretation and academic research cannot ordinarily be resolved through public interest litigation. The "Tejo Mahalaya" theory has periodically resurfaced in courts and public discourse, with petitioners seeking access to sealed rooms within the Taj Mahal or demanding fresh archaeological surveys. None of these pleas has resulted in a court-ordered ASI investigation into the monument's origins.