Taj Mahal served notices for property tax and water bills for first time in 370 years ‘by mistake’

Taj Mahal, one of the seven wonders of the world, has been asked to pay water and property tax

File. The Taj Mahal was the most visited ticketed monument by domestic visitors at about 3.3 million in financial year 2022, according to Statista (AFP via Getty Images)

The Taj Mahal, one of the seven wonders of the world, has been asked by the local municipality to pay water and property tax, much to the amusement of Indians on social media on Tuesday.

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which manages the world heritage site and a global tourist attraction, was served notice by the Agra municipal corporation and asked to pay about $120,000 as water tax and about $1800 as property tax.

The bills are for the financial year 2021-22 and 2022-23, local media that saw the notices, reported.

ASI officials, however, claimed that the tax notices were a mistake on the part of the local city municipality as such taxes were not applicable to monuments across the country.

The Taj Mahal is located on the bank of the Yamuna river in a Mughal garden that encompasses nearly 17 hectares, in the Agra district of Uttar Pradesh state in north India. It was constructed by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal. Construction started in 1632 AD and was completed in 1648 AD, with the mosque, the guest house, the main gateway on the south, the outer courtyard and its cloisters added subsequently and completed in 1653 AD.

The notices to ASI asked them to pay the dues within 15 days.

The Times of India (ToI) quoted ASI superintending archaeologist Raj Kumar Patel as saying that “property tax is not applicable on monuments. We are also not liable to pay taxes for water as there is no commercial use of it”.

He continued: “Water is used to maintain greenery within the premises.” Mr Patel said that this was for the first time ever that the Taj Mahal had been served such notices. “It could have been sent by mistake.”

Beside the two notices to the Taj, the ASI has also received a notice for the Agra Fort, NDTV reported.

“The cantonment board had served us notice for the Agra fort, a world heritage monument – a total of over $603,000. We have replied to them that the concerned government Act exempts monuments.”

Mr Patel told NDTV in a separate interview: “Uttar Pradesh laws have this provision too and so do other states. As for the water notice, in the past no such demand has been made and we do not have any water connection that we use for any commercial purposes. The lawns that we maintain inside the Taj complex are for public service and there is no question of dues.”

However, Agra municipal commissioner Nikhil T Funde told the Times of India that he was not aware that notices had been issued to the Taj Mahal.

An investigation has allegedly been launched to look into how the notices were served in the first place. ToI quoted an unidentified senior municipal officer as saying that a private company had been hired on contract to process the notices.

On Tuesday, on hearing that Agra municipal corporation has served notices to the Taj, Indians cracked jokes on social media platforms and soon #TajMahal started to trend on Twitter.

Rakesh Sharma, who goes by the handle @rakeshfilm, responded to the news: “In case of default, a non-bailable warrant against #Shahjehan, the original title deed holder for the #TajMahal?

He continued: “ps [sic]. Has he paid property tax for Red Fort, or is he a habitual tax offender?!”