Was The Taj Mahal First A Shiva Temple? Allahabad High Court Seeks Reply From ASI
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The civil matter has been pending since 2015; it claims the Taj Mahal was a temple dedicated to Shiva and wants permission to perform Hindu prayers inside the monument.
News18
The Taj Mahal has always been looked at as the greatest symbol of true love, regardless of age, gender or religion. It was built by Shah Jahan, the fifth Mughal emperor of India, in 1631 as an all-marble mausoleum for his wife Mumtaz, on the bank of the river Yamuna in Agra. It has survived wars, plagues and several kinds of natural calamities.
Now, the Allahabad High Court, on Monday, has sought a reply from the Union government and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) on a petition seeking a court-appointed inspection of the Taj Mahal. This is due to the ongoing civil lawsuit, which claims that UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the Wonders of the World was originally the Tejo Mahalaya, a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva.
Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal is presiding over the issue and he has issued notices to the centre and ASI directing them to file their responses to the petition. The Wire reported that a request for instituting an Advocate Commissioner who will examine and photograph the Taj Mahal has been rejected twice by lower courts – first by an Agra trial court in 2019 and a revisional court in April 2026. This has prompted the petitioners to move the High Court for a response.
The plea has been filed on behalf of the deity Lord Sri Agreshwar Mahadev Nagnatheshwar Virajman Tejo Mahalaya Temple Palace and Hari Shankar Jain, along with other devotees. This civil matter has been pending in an Agra court since 2015. The petitioners want to declare that the Taj Mahal used to be a Shiva temple and was converted into the mausoleum of Mumtaz Mahal during the Mugul reign. They have also sought permission to perform Hindu rituals and prayers inside the monument.
Just a few states away, in Hyderabad, the Salar Jung Museum inaugurated its ‘The Mute Eloquence of the Taj Mahal’ exhibition.
According to a report by The Hindu, this exhibit has been curated by historian and author Rana Safvi in collaboration with the DAG. During the inauguration of the exhibit, she explained how she used to initially view the monument as a testament to Emperor Shah Jahan’s love for Mumtaz Mahal and the might of the Mughal Empire, but a “deeper study of Islamic architecture, Sufi philosophy and Persian poetry led her to recognise it as an architectural meditation on mortality, resurrection and divine harmony”.
She went on to explain that Shah Jahan, a follower of the Chishti Sufi order, consciously designed the monument around Islamic concepts of duniya (the temporal world) and akhirah (the after-life). Every element, from the gardens and calligraphy to the proportions, light and spatial arrangement, was intended to guide visitors on a symbolic spiritual journey.
About the Author
Abigail Banerji is a Senior Sub Editor with News18’s English desk. She brings 6 years of experience across both print and digital newsrooms, spanning editorial planning, reportage, copy editing, conte…Read More
