Agra’s world famous Taj Mahal, long a symbol of Indian tourism, is alleged to have 109 archaeological features which suggest that it was actually ‘Tejo Mahalaya’, a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and was ostensibly later converted into an Islamic building by Mughal ruler Shah Jahan, according to a petition filed in the Allahabad High Court.
The petition was filed challenging a previous Agra court order in which the latter had refused to appoint an advocate commissioner to carry out inspection, videography and photography to map Hindu symbols in Taj Mahal. The petition has been filed by the deity–Lord Agreshwar mahadev nagnatheshwar Virajman–through friend advocate Hari Shankar Jain. Jain, it must be remembered, is famed for his advocacy of Hindu rights at Varanasi’s Gyanvapi mosque.
According to the petition, the Tejo mahalaya temple was constructed in 1155-56 AD by Raja Paramadi Dev, but control thereafter passed on to Raja Man Singh and later to Raja Jai Singh of Ajmer in the 17th century. The petition contends that the monument was usurped by Shah Jahan, who then repurposed it to be the monument of his wife Mumtaz Mahal. While a number of Islamic features, it is alleged, were added for this refiguration, Taj Mahal, retains some 109 Hindu features, such as a “Kalash” at the top of the marble dome, which is also dons “lotus petals”.
The petition also claims that a “gaushala” is situated towards the north-east corner of the structure, which is recorded in the records of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). The petition contends that a “gaushala” is a Hindu symbol and not found with Muslim mausoleums.
The original petition to this effect had been filed in 2015 at a lower court in Agra, was rejected in 2019 and the review petition was yet again rejected by Additional District Judge in Agra in 2026.