Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh – Hearing a petition demanding that the Taj Mahal be declared ‘Tejomahalaya’, the Allahabad High Court, on 6 July, directed the Central Government and the Archaeological Survey of India to present their side.
This petition has been filed on behalf of ‘Agreshwar Mahadev Nagnatheshwar Virajman’ by five people, including senior advocate Hari Shankar Jain. The petition demands that it be declared that the ‘Agreshwar Mahadev Nagnatheshwar Virajman Tejomahalaya Temple’ is located within the Taj Mahal premises.
The Allahabad High Court issued notices to the Centre and the ASI on a plea challenging an Agra court’s refusal to order a survey of the Taj Mahal.
Read More At: https://t.co/OnFMZAnuxJ#allahabadhc #legalnews #latestnews #judiciary #tajmahal pic.twitter.com/Av7wkvE9A0— LawChakra (@LawChakra) July 7, 2026
Demand for appointment of an advocate commissioner
During the hearing, senior advocate Hari Shankar Jain argued that an application had been filed in the lower court for video recording and photography of the premises, and for the appointment of an advocate commissioner; however, the lower court had wrongly rejected that application. Following this, the review petition too was dismissed as not maintainable. He said that a survey and video recording of the premises were extremely necessary for a proper resolution of this entire dispute.
Main case pending since 2015
This original suit related to the Taj Mahal was filed in the year 2015, and it is still pending before the Agra Civil Court. This suit demands a declaration that the ‘Agreshwar Mahadev Nagnatheshwar Virajman Tejomahalaya Temple’ exists within the Taj Mahal premises. While this case was pending, an application for the appointment of an advocate commissioner had also been submitted, which both district courts rejected.
Taj Mahal or Tejomahalaya? Fresh petition in High Court cites 109 Hindu proofs
July 8, 2026
Petition filed in Allahabad High Court seeks survey to prove Taj Mahal is Tejomahalaya
Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh – A petition has been submitted to the Allahabad High Court seeking to determine that the ‘Taj Mahal’ is actually ‘Tejomahalaya’. This petition has been filed on behalf of ‘Bhagwan Shri Agreshwar Mahadev Nagnatheswar Virajman’ by five individuals, including Advocate Hari Shankar Jain and Smt. Ranjana Agnihotri. Advocate Hari Shankar Jain is also leading the legal battle on behalf of Hindus in the Gyanvapi case in Varanasi.
1. In this petition, the petitioners have also presented 109 pieces of Hindu evidence showing that the ‘Taj Mahal’ is actually ‘Tejomahalaya’, a place dedicated to Bhagwan Shiva. This petition challenges an earlier order of the Agra District Court, in which the court had refused to conduct a survey to verify the Hindu symbols inside the Taj Mahal.
Taj Mahal Or Tejo Mahalaya? High Court Issues Notice To Centre On Petitionhttps://t.co/2BHT4eUQTk pic.twitter.com/EJIXldEU8W
— NDTV (@ndtv) July 7, 2026
2. This matter began in the year 2015. At that time, a civil suit was filed in the Agra Civil Court. The suit argued that the Taj Mahal premises is actually Tejomahalaya, that is, the Tejoling Mahadev Temple, where Bhagwan Mahadev Nagnatheswar is present. The petitioners also demanded permission for Hindus to worship inside the Taj Mahal.
3. In 2019, the petitioners filed another application demanding the appointment of an ‘Advocate Commissioner’ to inspect the Taj Mahal, take photographs of its structure, and record a video. However, the court rejected that demand, stating that the petitioners were unable to produce revenue records establishing the identity of the Taj Mahal.
