List of Masjids in Assam which was built by destroying Hindu temples
LIST OF HINDU TEMPLES DESTROYED AND CONVERTED TO MOSQUES IN ASSAM BY MUSLIMS
We give below, state-wise and district-wise, the particulars of Muslim monuments which stand on the sites and/or have been built with the materials of Hindu temples, and which we wish to recall as witnesses to the role of Islam as a religion and the character of Muslim rule in medieval India. The list is the result of a preliminary survey. Many more Muslim monuments await examination. Local traditions which have so far been ignored or neglected, have to be tapped on a large scale.
We have tried our best to be exact in respect of locations, names and dates of the monuments mentioned. Even so, some mistakes and confusions may have remained. It is not unoften that different sources provide different dates and names for the same monument. Many Muslim saints are known by several names, which creates confusion in identifying their mazars or dargahs. Some districts have been renamed or newly, created and a place which was earlier under one district may have been included in another. We shall be grateful to readers who point out these mistakes so that they can be corrected in our major study. This is only a brief summary.
Sita Ram Goel It should be kept in mind that the list below doesn’t include all the temples destroyed by Muslims and which were converted to mosques. The below is the list of mosques and Dargahs where evidences exists of having been made after destroying the temples at these locations. In many mosques, Muslim rulers were able to eradicate all signs of temples, and hence not given in below list. Anyone is free to visit the below list of mosques and see the remnants and materials of Hindu temples used in their construction. Archaeological Survey of India should conduct an excavation of below mosques to find out more about the ancient temples in these locations and possible mass graves around the mosque sites.
I. DISTRICT KAMRUP Hajo
1. Poa Masjid (1657). Temple site.
2. Mazar of a Muslim saint who styled himself Sultan Ghiyasud-Din Balban. Temple site.
EVIDENCE IS AVAILABLE THAT IN ASSAM THE ABOVE MENTIONED MOSQUES AND DARGAHS WERE CONSTRUCTED BY DESTROYING HINDU TEMPLES. BUT IN MANY OTHER CASES MUSLIMS SUCCEEDED IN REMOVING ALL TRACES OF TEMPLES FROM THE MOSQUES. IN SUCH CASES ONLY AN EXCAVATION BY ASI WILL REVEAL THE DESTROYED TEMPLES. WHILE MUSLIMS ASK FOR REBUILDING THE ILLEGAL MOSQUE IN AYODHYA, WHY SHOULD NOT HINDUS DEMAND THE RECONSTRUCTION OF THE DESTROYED TEMPLES IN INDIA?
List of Masjids in Andhra Pradesh which was built by destroying Hindu temples
LIST OF HINDU TEMPLES DESTROYED AND CONVERTED TO MOSQUES IN ANDHRA PRADESH BY MUSLIMS
We give below, state-wise and district-wise, the particulars of Muslim monuments which stand on the sites and/or have been built with the materials of Hindu temples, and which we wish to recall as witnesses to the role of Islam as a religion and the character of Muslim rule in medieval India. The list is the result of a preliminary survey. Many more Muslim monuments await examination. Local traditions which have so far been ignored or neglected, have to be tapped on a large scale.
We have tried our best to be exact in respect of locations, names and dates of the monuments mentioned. Even so, some mistakes and confusions may have remained. It is not unoften that different sources provide different dates and names for the same monument. Many Muslim saints are known by several names, which creates confusion in identifying their mazars or dargahs. Some districts have been renamed or newly, created and a place which was earlier under one district may have been included in another. We shall be grateful to readers who point out these mistakes so that they can be corrected in our major study. This is only a brief summary. Sita Ram Goel It should be kept in mind that the list below doesn’t include all the temples destroyed by Muslims and which were converted to mosques. The below is the list of mosques and Dargahs where evidences exists of having been made after destroying the temples at these locations. In many mosques, Muslim rulers were able to eradicate all signs of temples, and hence not given in below list. Anyone is free to visit the below list of mosques and see the remnants and materials of Hindu temples used in their construction. Archaeological Survey of India should conduct an excavation of below mosques to find out more about the ancient temples in these locations and possible mass graves around the mosque sites.
I. ADILABAD DISTRICT Mahur
1. Masjid in the Fort on the hill. Temple site. II. ANANTPUR DISTRICT Gooty
2. Gateway to the Hill Fort. Temple materials used. Kadiri
3. Jami Masjid. Temple site.
Konakondla
4. Masjid in the bazar. Temple materials used. Penukonda
5. Fort. Temple materials used.
6. Masjid in the Fort. Converted Temple.
7. Sher Khans Masjid (1546) Converted Temple.
8. Dargah of Babayya. Converted Azvara Temple.
9. Jami Masjid (1664-65). Temple site.
10. Dargah of Shah Fakbrud-din (1293-94). Temple site. Tadpatri
11. Jami Masjid (1695-96). Temple site.
12. Idgah completed in 1725-26. Temple site. Thummala
13. Masjid (1674-75). Temple site.
III. CUDDAPAH DISTRICT
Cuddapah
14. Bhap Sahib-ki-Masjid (1692). Temple site.
15. Idgah (1717-18). Temple site.
16. Bahadur Khan-ki-Masjid (1722-23). Temple site.
17. Dargah of Shah Aminud-Din Gesu Daraz (1736-37). Temple site. Duvvuru
18. Masjid. Temple site. Gandikot
19. Jami Masjid (1690-91). Temple site. Gangapuru
20. Masjid. Temple site. Gundlakunta
21. Dastgiri Dargah. Temple site. Gurrumkonda
22. Fort and several other Muslim buildings. Temple materials used. Jammalmaduguu
23. Jami Masjid (1794-95). Temple site.
Jangalapalle
24. Dargah of Dastgir Swami. Converted Jangam temple. Siddhavatam
25. Qutb Shahi Masjid (restored in 1808). Temple materials used.
26. Jami Masjid (1701). Temple materials used.
27. Dargah of Bismillah Khan Qadiri. Temple materials used.
28. Fort and Gateways. Temple materials used.
29. Chowk-ki-Masjid. Temple site. Vutukuru
30. Masjid at Naligoto. Temple site.
31. Masjid at Puttumiyyapeta. Temple site. IV. EAST GODAVARI DISTRICT Bikkavolu
32. Masjid. Temple materials used. V. GUNTUR DISTRICT Nizampatnam
33. Dargah of Shah Haidri (1609). Temple site Vinukonda
34. Jami Masjid (1640-41). Temple site. VI. HYDERABAD DISTRICT Chikalgoda
35. Masjid (1610). Temple site. Dargah
36. Dargah of Shah Wali (1601-02). Temple site. Golconda
37. Jami Masjid on Bala Hissar. Temple site.
38. Taramati Masjid. Temple site. Hyderabad
39. Dargah of Shah Musa Qadiri. Temple site.
40. Masjid on the Pirulkonda Hill (1690). Temple site.
41. Toli Masjid (1671). Temple materials used.
42. Dargah of Mian Mishk (d. 1680). Temple site.
43. Dargah of Mumin Chup in Aliyabad (1322-23). Temple site.
44. Haji Kamal-ki-Masjid (1657). Temple site.
45. Begum Masjid (1593). Temple site.
46. Dargah of Islam Khan Naqshbandi. Temple site.
47. Dargah of Shah Daud (1369-70). Temple site.
48. Jami Masjid (1597). Temple site. Maisaram
49. Masjid built by Aurangzeb from materials of 200 temples demolished after the fall of Golconda. Secunderabad
50. Qadam Rasul. Temple site. Sheikhpet
51. Shaikh-ki-Masjid (1633-34). Temple site.
52. SaraiwAli Masjid (1678-79). Temple site. VII. KARIMNAGAR DISTRICT Dharampuri
53. Masjid (1693). Trikuta Temple site. Elangdal
54. Mansur Khan-ki-Masjid (1525). Temple site.
55. Alamgiri Masjid (1696). Temple site. Kalesyaram
56. Alamgiri Masjid. Temple site. Sonipet
57. Alamgiri Masjid. Temple site. Vemalvada
58. Mazar of a Muslim saint. Temple site. VIII. KRISHNA DISTRICT Gudimetta
59. Masjid in the Fort, Temple materials used. Guduru
60. Jami Masjid (1497). Temple materials used. Gundur
61. Jami Masjid. Converted temple. Koindapall
62. Masjid built in 1482 on the site of a temple after Muhammad Shah BahmanI had slaughtered the Brahmin priests on the advice of Mahmud Gawan, the great Bahmani Prime Minister, who exhorted the sultan to become a Ghazi by means of this pious performance.
63. Mazar of Shah Abdul Razzaq. Temple site. Kondavidu
64. Masjid (1337). Temple materials used.
65. Dargah of Barandaula. Temple materials used.
66. Qadam Sharif of Adam. Converted temple. Machhlipatnam
67. Jami Masjid. Temple site.
68. Idgah. Temple site. Nandigram
69. Jami Masjid. Temple site. Pedana
70. Iama-il-ki-Masjid. Temple site. Rajkonda
71. Masjid (1484). Temple site. Tengda
72. Masjid. Temple site. Turkpalem
73. Dargah of Ghalib Shahid. Temple site. Vadpaili
74. Masjid near Narsimhaswamin Temple. Temple materials used. Vijaywada
75. Jami Masjid. Temple site. IX. KURNOOL DISTRICT Adoni
76. Jami Masjid (1668-69). Materials of several temples used.
77. Masjid on the Hill. Temple materials used.
78. Fort (1676-77). Temple materials used. Cumbum
79. Jami Masjid (1649). Temple site.
80. Gachinala Masjid (1729-30). Temple site. Havli
81. Jami Masjid. Temple materials used. Karimuddula
82. Dargah. Akkadevi Temple materials used. Kottakot
83. Jami Masjid (1501). Temple site. Kurnool
84. Pir Sahib-ka-Gumbad (1637-38). Temple site.
85. Jami Masjid (1667). Temple site.
86. Lal Masjid (1738-39). Temple site. Pasupala
87. Kalan Masjid. Temple site. Sanjanmala
88. Masjid. Temple sites. Siddheswaram
89. Ashurkhana. Temple materials used. Yadavalli
90. Mazar and Masjid. Temple sites. Zuhrapur
91. Dargah of Qadir Shah Bukhari. Temple site. X. MAHBUBNAGAR DISTRICT Alampur
92. Qala-ki-Masjid. Temple materials used. Jatprole
93. Dargah of Sayyid Shah Darwish. Temple materials used. Kodangal
94. Dargah of Hazrat Nizamud-Din. Temple site.
95. Jami Masjid. Temple site. Kundurg
96. Jami Masjid (1470-71). Temple site. Pargi
Jami Masjid (1460). Temple site. Somasila
Dargah of Kamalud-Din Baba (1642-43) Temple site. XI. MEDAK DISTRICT Andol
97. Old Masjid. Temple site. Komatur
98. Old Masjid. Temple site. Medak
99. Masjid near Mubarak Mahal (1641). Vishnu Temple site.
100. Fort, Temple materials used. Palat
101. Masjid. Temple site. Patancheru
102. Jami Masjid. Temple materials used.
103. Dargah of Shykh Ibrahim known as Makhdumji (1583). Temple site.
104. Ashrufkhana. Temple site.
105. Fort (1698). Temple materials used. XII. NALGONDA DISTRICT Devarkonda
106. Qutb Shahi Masjid. Temple materials used.
107. Dargah of Sharifud-Din (1579). Temple site.
108. Dargah of Qadir Shah Wali (1591). Temple site. Ghazinagar
109. Masjid (1576-77). Temple site. Nalgonda
110. Garhi Masjid. Temple site.
111. Dargah of Shah Latif. Temple site.
112. Qutb Shahi Masjid (Renovated in 1897). Temple site. Pangal
113. Alamgiri Masjid. Temple site. XIII. NELLORE DISTRICT Kandukuru
114. Four Masjids. Temple sites. Nellore
115. Dargah named Dargamitta. Akkasalisvara Temple materials used. Podile
116. Dargah. Temple site. Udayagiri
117. Jami Masjid (1642-43). Temple materials used.
118. Chhoti Masjid (1650-51). Temple materials used.
119. Fort. Temple materials used. XIV. NIZAMBAD DISTRICT Balkonda
120. Patthar-ki-Masjid. Temple site.
121. Idgah. Temple site. Bodhan
122. Deval Masjid. Converted Jain temple.
123. Patthar-ki-Masjid. Temple site.
124. Alamgiri Masjid (1654-55). Temple site. Dudki
125. Ashrufkhana. Temple materials used. Fathullapur
126. Muaskari Masjid (1605-06). Temple site. XV. OSMANABAD DISTRICT Ausa
127. Jami Masjid (1680-81). Temple site.
XVI. RANGAREDDY DISTRICT Maheshwar
128. Masjid (1687). Madanna Pandits Temple site. XVII. SRIKAKULAM DISTRICT Icchapuram
129. Several Masjids. Temple sites. Kalingapatnam
130. Dargah of Sayyid Muhammad Madni Awliya (1619-20). Temple materials used. Srikakulam
131. Jami Masjid (1641- 42). Temple site.
132. Dargah of Bande Shah Wali (1641- 42). Temple site.
133. Atharwali Masjid (1671-72). Temple site.
134. Dargah of Burhanud-Din Awliya. Temple site. XVIII. VISHAKHAPATNAM DISTRICT Jayanagaram
135. Dargah. Temple site. Vishakhapatnam
136. Dargah of Shah Madni. Temple site. XIX. WARANGAL DISTRICT Zafargarh
137. Jami Masjid. Temple site. XX. WEST GODAVARI DISTRICT Eluru
138. Fort. Temple materials used.
139. Sawai Masjid. Converted temple.
140. Qazi’s House. Somesvara Temple materials used. Nidavolu
141. Masjid. Mahadeva Temple materials used. Rajamundri
142. Jami Masjid (1324). Converted Venugopalaswamin Temple.
EVIDENCE IS AVAILABLE THAT IN ANDHRA PRADESH THE ABOVE MENTIONED MOSQUES AND DARGAHS WERE CONSTRUCTED BY DESTROYING HINDU TEMPLES. BUT IN MANY OTHER CASES MUSLIMS SUCCEEDED IN REMOVING ALL TRACES OF TEMPLES FROM THE MOSQUES. IN SUCH CASES ONLY AN EXCAVATION BY ASI WILL REVEAL THE DESTROYED TEMPLES. WHILE MUSLIMS ASK FOR REBUILDING THE ILLEGAL MOSQUE IN AYODHYA, WHY SHOULD NOT HINDUS DEMAND THE RECONSTRUCTION OF THE DESTROYED TEMPLES IN INDIA?
For centuries, India has been a land of diverse religions and cultures, including Hinduism and Islam. However, religious conflicts and disputes have often hindered peaceful coexistence between communities. One such issue that has been a point of contention between Hindus and Muslims in India is the reclaiming of ancient temples that have been under Islamic occupation for centuries. Here, we will explore how the reclaiming of these temples can lead to Hindu-Muslim unity and peace.
The issue of temple reclamation is not a new one. Many ancient Hindu temples have been destroyed or converted into mosques during the Islamic invasions and subsequent Muslim rulers’ reign. The reclamation of these temples has been a longstanding demand of the Hindu community, with many of these temples being of great significance to Hindus.
The reclaiming of ancient temples is not just about restoring the sanctity of Hindu religious sites; it is also a matter of restoring the dignity of the Hindu community. The occupation of these temples has been a source of great pain and humiliation for the Hindus. The reclaiming of these temples is, therefore, an assertion of their identity and a demand for justice.
However, the reclaiming of ancient temples is not a call for revenge or retribution. Instead, it is an invitation for Muslims to recognize and respect the sentiments and beliefs of the Hindu community. The reclaiming of these temples is an opportunity for Hindus and Muslims to come together and celebrate their shared history and culture.
The reclaiming of ancient temples can also be a catalyst for promoting interfaith dialogue and understanding. The occupation of these temples has been a source of mistrust and suspicion between the two communities. By reclaiming these temples, Hindus are sending a message of goodwill and inclusiveness. It is an invitation to the Muslim community to recognize and respect the Hindu community’s sentiments and beliefs.
Furthermore, the reclaiming of ancient temples can have a positive impact on Hindu-Muslim relations. The reclaiming of these temples is not just a demand for justice and equality, but it is also a recognition of the shared heritage of India’s diverse communities.
The reclaiming of ancient temples can also be a means of promoting spiritual and cultural tourism leading to economic development. Many of these temples are of great historical and architectural significance. The restoration of these temples can attract devotees from all over the world and provide a boost to the local economy. The restoration of these temples can also provide employment opportunities to the local population, thereby promoting economic development.
However, the reclaiming of ancient temples is not without its challenges. The process of reclaiming these temples can be a long and tedious one. It involves legal battles and negotiations with the government and Muslim communities. The reclaiming of these temples also requires a great deal of financial resources and technical expertise. It is, therefore, important to approach the reclaiming of these temples with patience, perseverance, and a spirit of cooperation.
In conclusion, the reclaiming of ancient temples under Islamic occupation is not just a matter of restoring Hindu religious sites’ glory. It is a matter of restoring the dignity of the Hindu community, promoting interfaith dialogue and understanding, and promoting cultural tourism and economic development. The reclaiming of these temples can be an opportunity for Hindus and Muslims to come together and celebrate their shared history and culture, ultimately leading to Hindu-Muslim unity and peace.
Imagine an age where worshiping one’s deities is forbidden and is punishable by the law. Those that rule will pay no heed to your cries of anguish as they are the ones who have enacted and enforced such draconian laws upon you and your lot. Pillage and destruction were common and the very existence of Hindus was an anathema to the Islamic ruling disposition. Imagine a nightmare which continued for decades non stop.
Hard to imagine, rightly so especially to a generation that is far cut off from it’s past and a good availability of internet and the ease of living has made such a life hard to imagine, but again those that don’t learn from the past are made to repeat that past, Kashmir being the latest reminder.
The hardships that you just read in the start of this piece were faced by the Hindus of Jaunpur.
The famous shrine of Goddess Atala Devi, the wish fulfilling Goddess whose grand temple stood in all its glory, whose construction was done by the Rajput King Raja Vijay Chandra of the Kingdom of Kannauj was destroyed in 1364 AD by the brother of Sultan, Ibrahim Naib Barbak. He constructed Jhanjhari masjid nearby in honor of Hazrat Ajmali after he had fulfilled his religious fervor by the destruction of the temple. What he started was completed by 1408 AD by the Sultan Ibrahim who converted the remnants of the Atala Devi temple to a full fledged mosque.
Khair ud Dins history of Jaunpur clearly states and further informs the reader that Hindus were made to vacate their home and professors of the Islamic faith were given those houses, while the Hindus were made to live on the peripheral villages just outside the city.
A simple observation with an unbiased mind one can easily see the inner pillars along with the inner walls of the masjid have deep Hindu architecture.
H.E Nevil the then District Commissioner of Jaunpur had written in the Gazette of Jaunpur dated 1908, the destruction of the Atala Devi temple by the brother of the Sultan called Ibrahim Naib.
The very Goddess for whose one glimpse thousands used to wait with folded hands is now waiting for hundreds of years and counting, to be reclaimed.
A part of collective Hindu civilization awaits its reclamation and for the past wrong to be righted. Her hope’s are from a society which watches yet waits, from a judiciary which sees and sermonizes and the political dispensation which measures things from the point of view of one election to another.
A few lines might tell the state of the Hindu nation.
Arise of Goddess arise for your children are waiting for you but in the digital world.
Let not your hope be from those to whom power be the only thing that is to be concerned.
Trying to connect imaginary bridges that have long been burned.
Arise o Goddess for a day will come when your children’s blood will stir and in there hands will be the key to correct the past and to set your temple free.
Thirumalapuram Rock Cut Temples—The Pasupathynatheswarar Temple, Tirunelveli District, Tamil Nadu.
Picture this: The rocky Varanasimalai hill (also known as Varanachimalai hill) in Thirumalapuram in Sankarankovil taluk of Thirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu. Step back into circa 750 CE, when the hill would have come alive with an army of craftsmen chiselling away into the rocky hill! Disregarding the blazing sun and the heat radiated by this rocky hill, they went on to carve out two temples from the solid rock face—the southern one is unfinished, while the north-facing one has been completed with finesse and is simply spectacular.
Today, twelve-plus centuries later, this temple—the Pasupathynatheswarar Temple—continues to be a sacred one for Lord Shiva’s devotees. There are special pujas here on every Pradosham Day (13th day of each lunar fortnight, a sacred day for Lord Shiva; praying on this day helps remove doshas or flaws in oneself) and on the annual Thiru Karthikai Day and the annual Maha Shivaratri Day.
The Pasupathynatheswarar Rock Cut Cave Temple is a marvel in stone and invokes an upsurge of emotions. An extensive temple chiselled out of a rocky mountain at a height of about 650 feet from ground level, this temple is reached by walking up a steep flight of steps that were carved out too. This ancient temple has a Façade flanked by pillars and pilaster, a GarbhaGrha (Sanctum Sanctorum) dedicated to a Shivalingam, and a rectangular MukhaMandappa (hall) with carved out niches housing exquisite, larger-than-life bas-relief sculptures of the Trinity of Hindu Gods—Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva—and Lord Ganapati.
A Nandi in the centre of the mandappa used to face the Shivalingam, like in any Shiva temple—used to, because the Nandi has been vandalized now and only its base remains, though supposedly, this temple is under the “protection” of the Archaeological Survey of India. Devotees continue to worship the remains of the Nandi even today.
Incredible Workmanship
As you walk through the façade into the temple, you step into the rectangular MukhaMandappa (5.91m X 3.13m), which has three niches carved out on its southern wall. Imagine excavating so much of stone out of a rocky mountain without power tools! By the way, the floor of the Mukha Mandappa as well as the façade is levelled evenly. In fact, there the ancient Pandya architects have even fashioned a long groove across the entire length of the facade to drain away rain water! Such has been their attention to detail and care for this temple.
The pillars of the façade, with BrahmaKanta (cubical structures) at their top and bottom and an octagonal columns (Vishnu Kanta) between them, is adorned with lotus medallions. There are Tarangapotikas or fluted corbels above them.
Priceless Bas-Relief Sculptures
The bas-reliefs of this temple are among the finest examples of Early Pandya Art and mesmerize us by their sublime aesthetics, besides evoking awe at the kind of devotion that the king of the day and the craftsmen must have had, to have attempted and accomplished this marvelous stone temple.
Lord Nataraja in chatura tandavam
The beauty of Lord Nataraja here, with his left foot slightly raised and the right foot on the floor is to be seen to be understood. The first niche (1.86m X 1.41m) of the Mukha Mandappa features a beautiful, four-armed, dancing Lord Shiva (Nataraja) in the ‘chatura tandavam’ dancing pose (the 107th dance posture among the 108 dance postures of Shiva). Bhootha Ganas stand on either side of him; the Gana on his right has been destroyed and only his legs remain, while the Gana on his left is seen playing the sirattai kinnari (a traditional Tamil musical instrument) with his right hand.
Lord Nataraja—with a cresent moon to the left of his jatamukuta (crown of braids)and the braided locks flowing down his shoulders—is seen holding a flower in his rear right hand, while he holds the yajnopavita (sacred thread) withhis front right hand, a palm leaf manuscript in his rear left hand, and has his front left hand stretched out above his shoulder. With a serpent coiled around his waist and thighs, an elaborate girdle with a floral clasp tying the short garment that he wears around his waist, adorned by serpentine spiral armlets and anklets, a palm leaf coil on his right ear lobe, a forearm band, a yajnopavita and udarabandha—Lord Shiva here is a sight of incredible beauty and mesmerising power.
The middle niche (1.90m X 1.40m) has a beautiful bas-relief of four-armed Lord Vishnu in standing posture. He is seen holding a sankha (conch) in his rear right hand, chakra (discus) in his rear left hand; his front left hand is on his waist and his front right hand is in Anjali Mudra. Lord Vishnu has been depicted wearing makarakundala on his ear lobes, a kritamakutam with wheel, udharabandha and yajnopavita, and adorned with sarapali, armlets and a forearm band, and attired in his pitambara garment in panchakacha style. There is a bhootha gana on either side of Lord Vishnu, their faces expressing entranced devotion.
Next to this is the niche (1.68m X 1.34m) with the bas-relief of a seated Lord Ganesha. Lord Ganesha here is an Idampuri Pillaiyar in Maharajaleelasanam. He is seen holding the pasa with his rear right hand and the tusk with his rear left hand. His front left hand is seen resting on his belly, while his front right hand holds a modhakam. Lord Ganesha is adorned with karantamakutam, armlets, fore-arm band, udhara bandha, and yajnopavita.
A Rare Sight
This is also one of the rare temples with Lord Brahma. On the eastern wall of the mukha mandappa of this temple is a niche with the relief sculpture of Brahma in standing posture with three visible heads and four arms. His right front arm rests on his hip, while his left front arm holds a dried bottle gourd. He holds a flower with his right rear arm and a palm leaf manuscript in his left rear arm. Lord Brahma is seen wearing a dhoti in panchakacha style. He is adorned with a jatamakuta, yagyopavitam (the sacred thread), sarapuli, udharabandha, keyura, and thick bangles.
Shivalingam That Has Seen Centuries of Abhishekam
The garbhagrha (sanctum sanctorum) of the temple lies on the western side of the carved out Mandappa, and is flanked by Dwarapalakas (gate keepers) at its entrance. At the centre of the sanctum sanctorum is a monolithic Shiva Lingam with squarish Avudaiyar (base). In the centre of the hall and facing the Shiva Lingam is the remains of a monolithic Nandi. One can see from the lingam that regular abhishekam was once performed for the Shiva Lingam. Jagathi, vrittakumudham and prathivari elements are present in the plinth (prathivari bandha adhitanam) of the sanctum sanctorum.
Inscriptions Demonstrating Local Patronage of the Temple
Traces of early Pandya murals and a couple of later-day inscriptions adorn the temple. Of the two inscriptions, one is a 11th century inscription while the other is a 12th century inscription (under one of the pillars) that mentions that a prince named Chakravartin Srivallabhadeva had gifted fertile land with trees, wells and tanks to the temple, demonstrating that widespread worship of these Hindu deities was prevalent in Tamil Nadu even then.
History of the Temple
The architecture style of this temple has been classified as the ‘Early Pandya Style’. Visualize the effort and the devotion that has gone in to carve out such poetry in stone from this unyielding rock of a mountain! The Thirumalapuram Rock Cut Cave Temples is a site of invaluable religious, historic and artistic value throwing light on the deep-seated Hindu ethos of Tamil Nadu.
On paper, the temple is supposed to be a ‘Centrally Protected Monument of National Importance” and preserved and maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India, Thrissur Circle. The bitter reality is that the Nandi has been vandalised and not much has been done to protect or highlight the importance of the temple.
This historic temple was carved out at a time when Pandya kings ruled this region. Temple art and culture flourished under their devout patronage and this was supported by the prosperity brought in by pearl trade across oceans by the Pandyas, such that the Pandya empire came to be tagged as ‘the richest kingdom in existence’ by venetian traveller and writer Marco Polo, who explored the Pandya Empire in the 13th century, after arriving at its port Kayal. Historical records state that King Maravarman Rajasimha I ruled between 730–65 CE, followed by the rule of Nedunjadaiyan/Varagunavarman from 765–815 CE.
A Tale of Woe: Regular Worship Prohibited; Lord Shiva Awaits His Due
History narrates that the Pasupathynatheswarar Temple was all along a functioning temple thronged by devotees from far and near, until in 1922 when these ancient cave temples were brought under the “protection” of Archaeological Survey of India. From a time of daily worship at the temple, it has come to pass that devotees have had to go to court to get the rights to celebrate the annual overnight Maha Shivaratri at the temple, with the ASI once restricting the customary overnight Maha Shivaratri celebrations here from sunrise to sunset (https://indiankanoon.org/doc/249161/).
A pertinent point that is recorded in this writ appeal is that “originally regular poojas were being offered by the devotees at this temple; the regular worship was interrupted only after the Thirumalpuram rock cut temples were declared to be an ancient monument in the year 1922 under the Ancient Monuments Preservation Act, 1904 and came under the ASI.”
Can the ASI interfere and put a spoke in the religious affairs of a community?
Priceless Pandya Legacy Lies in Languish
Today, as you walk up the path leading to this centuries-old temple, you will find an entire church complex staring down at you from atop this very mountain, with crosses and Church buildings all over the place.
A “Sendamaram Tirumalaimatha Church” now stands on top of Thirumalapuram Cave Temples that is under the “protection” of the ASI. Notice the name “Thirumalainatha” meaning “lord of Thirumalai” and closely patterned on the lines of Pasupathynatheshwarar! How could such blatant appropriation be allowed? This church is under the Diocese of Palayamkottai and their website openly states that the Church was built after destroying an ancient temple and using its materials: “First Sendamaram had only a small thatched church as its possession…. and he built up a chapel with the stones of a dilapidated Hindu Temple.” (http://www.palayamkottaidiocese.org/diocese/shrines/8) .
As it to add insult to injury, the Church complex built on the encroached temple hill has put up facilities and shelter spaces for Christian pilgrims and priests, while the Pasupathynatheshwarar Temple that has been in existence for centuries has no facilities for Hindu devotees.
A Case of Bizarre Ownership
To a complaint, the ASI has replied that the ownership of 62.22 acres of land including the Thirumalapuram rock cut Shiva temple belongs to Rev Father J Mahe, SJ Superior of Roman Catholic Mission (https://twitter.com/reclaimtemples/status/1374014951040282628?lang=en). This is a slap on the face to the devotees of Pasupathynatheswarar and the Pandya kings who have built this marvel in stone.
How is even possible for a later-day church to lay claim on a hill that has been the site of a temple for twelve-plus centuries? How could this historic temple site be under Christian occupation? Is it even legal?
Footnote: The Thirumalapuram rock cut temples lie about a kilometer away from the Thirumalapuram Bus Stop on the Senthamaram-Kallidaikurichi road, about 5km from Kallidaikurichi. Neolithic tools and other archaeological finds unearthed in this region point out that Thirumalapuram was the site of civilization even 10,000 years ago.
This research article is part of our efforts to locate and document ancient Hindu temples that is under encroachment and ruins. Efforts are then made towards their revival and restart of worship. You can support via https://reclaimtemples.com/donations/documenting-destroyed-ancient-temples/. This will strengthen the efforts and enable us make interventions on ground.
Daulatabad is an ancient city, in the north-central Maharashtra state of India, It is believed that lord Shiva once stayed in this place, hence it is also traditionally known as Devagiri or Deogir. It is situated in a hilly upland area about 13 km from Aurangabad. Located on a pyramid shaped hilltop, Daulatabad fort is considered as one of the most spectacular forts in Maharashtra. It is considered as one of the most coveted and impregnable forts of India.
It was constructed by the Rashtrakuta kings who built the world famous Kailasa caves, the fort was ruled by the Yadavas between 1187 to 1318 AD. Then, Allaudin Khilji attacked Daulatabad. It was here in 1347, Hasan Gangu Bahamani established the Bahamaini kingdom, shifting soon after to Gulbarga and they ruled here over 150 years. The fort was held as a fine and valued fortress by successive dynasties in the Deccan until it was taken over by the Nizams of Hyderabad in 1724 A.D. and it remained under their control till independence. During independence, in the unused mosque inside this fort, called Jami Masjid, an idol of Bharat Mata was erected by Hindus and this place thus came to be called as Bharat Mata temple.
The main structures at Daulatabad are the Jami Masjid and Chand Minar. The fort’s central pink minaret, 110 feet Chand Minar played a defensive as well as religious role in Daualatabad Fort and it is the second tallest tower in India after the Qutub Minar.
Jami Masjid, the mosque located within the Daulatabad Fort, was built in 1318 by Khilji ruler of Delhi, Qutub-ud-din Mubarak. This mosque is adorned with 106 carved columns/ pillars that were looted from several Hindu and Jain temples that stood at and around this site. The interior of the mosque is a blend of Indic and Islamic style of architecture narrating the painful testimony to the brutal persecution of Indic spaces.Muslim invaders, emperors and their followers used this space in Daulatabad fort as Jama Masjid for close to 700 years. One can enter the mosque through domed chambers approached by a series of steps.
According to various sources available on international history sites – It seems correct to say that this mosque was converted from a Hindu temple under the sovereignty of the Hindu kingdom, which obviously points to after plunder and religious persecution . The same seems true for the entire fort. The evidences are crisp throughout the structure of the mosque. Also, Hindu motifs and elements of construction can be clearly seen in the bases and the tops of the numerous pillars, and the inside of the ceiling. Viewing the whole space through the pillars, one may feel that he/ she is in a Hindu or Jain temple.
Quoting from the book ‘Hindu Masjids’ by Prafull Goradia –
What however is of interest to us is the unusual shuddhi that the temple undervent inside the outer·wall of the fortress. This historical event took place in 1948 on the morrow of the police action by the Government of India during the takeover of the Nizam’s Hyderabad. There had been a great deal of local pressure for the restitution of the temple. Leaders like Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel as well as Shri Kanhaiyalal Munshi were also aware that it was a Jain mandir which had been forcibly converted into a masjid by Alauddin Khilji. ·However, to avoid giving a religious or a communal colour to the shuddhi or reconversion, the idol installed in the sanctum sanctorum was that of Bharat Mata. It is therefore now known as the Bharat Mata temple, although for 700 years it had been called Jami masjid. The mandir was built on a plan not dissimilar to Palitana in Gujarat and Dilwara at Mount Abu, Rajasthan. There is a large courtyard. There were the usual traditional 52 pillars as in Jain places of worship. At the western end was a hall, typical of an ancient temple. A flat roof was held aloft by 152 stone pillars.The author and his colleagues during their visit in 2001 were told on authority that the pillars were constructed according to the Himar Panti style of architecture,one of whose special characteristics was the interlocking of stones without the use of any cementing material.
The flat roof had been modified to the extent that a small dome had been raised above where the mimbar was, prior to the shuddhi in 1948. On several of the beams were engraved the Chalukia emblem called Kiritmukh Patti which only confirmed that the temple was built during Chalukia rule. An unusual sight was the terracota colour with which the 152 pillars were coloured upto a height of about 12 feet. Above that, was white colouring. We were told that this was done during the Nizam’s period. One can only presume that the intention might have been to distract attention from the Jain character of the edifice. Also, between the outermost wall and the third fort wall, there is a structure which is much smaller than the Bharat Mata temple but of a similar design. There is however no courtyard. Uncannily, an image of Mahavir Swami can still be seen on more than one of the pillars.
Jami Masjid in Daulatabad Fort
Pillars Adorning Jami Masjid
A colonnade of Jami Masjid, Depicting Columns from Hindu Architecture
Bharat Mata Moorti Installed in Masjid During Independence
Fort With the View of 110 Feet Tall Chand Minar Next to Jami Masjid
Illustration from 1636 Padshahnama of Shah Jahan Showing Mughals Capturing Devagiri. Illustration to Text of Abdul Hamid Lahori
The Hill of Devagiri, Once Capital of Yadava Dynasty As per Internet Sources
A Jain Relic Found In Daulatabad Fort (This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license. Attribution: Udaykumar PR)
Source – ‘Hindu Masjids’ by Prafull Goradia
Source – ‘Hindu Masjids’ by Prafull Goradia
It feels surreal to go through history of this fort in the mind, the capturing, destabilizing of a faith to make way for intolerant iconoclasm that took pride of simply subjugating the former, instead of assimilation and real mutual respect. It would be great to see this fort restored as the traditional Devagiri region, with archaeology going back to time as much as possible to resurrect the aura and sacredness of the place. Restoration of ancient Hindu/ Indic spaces is an elaborate process, it will take its time but it needs to be done.
Tirunavaya in Kerala is a very sacred place for the Hindus from ancient times. It is known for its ancient Hindu temples. The river Bharathapuzha at Tirunavaya has a special sanctity and relevance, because it flows between the temple of god Vishnu (Nava Mukunda) on its right bank and temples of Brahma and Siva on its left. In this sacred place of Tirunavaya, there used to be a vibrant cultural & spiritual river festival since ancient times called Maghamaka Mahotsavam, that took place every 12 years. It happened on the banks of holy Bharathpuzha. Maghamaka Mohatosava is Kerala’s oldest and most spectacular spiritual gathering whose history goes back by thousands of years. It is believed that various forms of martial art and intellectual contests, cultural festivals, Hindu ritual ceremonies and folk art performances were held at this beautiful festival.
The Maghamaka Mahotsavam is held in the month of Magha (January – February) when the Jupiter is in Aries,Sun & Moon are in Capricorn, or Jupiter is in Taurus and Sun in Capricorn. It is believed that a holy dip in Bharatha river will help to cleanse the inner selves, wash out the evils and open up the path of righteous living. Maghamaka snanams are also believed to have curative effects for the chronic ill-health. It is believed with great devotion that during the Maghamaka period, Brahma, Shiva and Narayana, are all present in the river.
Unfortunately, in our turbulent history, the last Māghamaka festival was held in 1755 CE. It came to an end with the conquest of Kōzhikōde by the Sultān of Mysōre, Ḥaidar ʿAlī (1766 CE) and the subsequent Treaty of Seringapatam (1792) with the English East India Company. But the good news is that, this ancient festival of Maghamaka Mahotsavam which was once organised by the Chola and Chera, & other Kingdoms, now stands revived after a gap of 253 years from 2019 onwards by the initiative of Ugra Narasimha Charitable Trust along with Oral History Research Foundation. The festival will now be a yearly event and shall cause a revival of Dharma.
This festival aims to revive the region’s rich cultural heritage and promote the ‘trimurty sangama’ villages Thirunavaya and Thavanur into a nationally known pilgrimage site.
Revival of Maghamaka Mahotsavam in 2019
The Ugra Narasimha Charitable Trust in association with Oral History Research Foundation revived this beautiful ancient festival and held it from 21st to 23rd January, 2019 in the Navamukunda temple in Malappuram, Kerala, on the banks of Bharathapuzha at the place called Trimurti Sangama. The main attractions of the year’s program were Sanyasi Sangamam, Nila Aarthi, Nila Pooja, Nila Snanam, National History Seminar, Union of Royal Families & Royals, Samuha Agnihotrayajnam, Mahamangalya Homam, Hindu Religious & Cultural Conference, honouring the memory and distinguished career of Achyutha Pisharodi (the famous Sanskrit grammarian, astrologer, astronomer and mathematician).
Swami Chidanandapuri ji of Advaitashram also released the book ‘Destroyed Temples of Kerala Vol 1 (Malayalam)’ on 23 Jan 2019 during the festival. The book reveals the history of 25 destroyed Hindu temples of Kerala.
The festival was inaugurated by the representatives of various royal families of Kerala on 21st of January, 2019. In total,126 Sanyasis and 2 Mathathipathis attended the rituals apart from other dignitaries. Various highlights of this beautiful cultural gathering in pictures are mentioned below –
Agnihotra Homam by 108 Women
Sadhus from all over India being welcomed at the Mahotsavam
Inauguration of the seminars on Day 2 by Shri KK Muhammad , former Regional Director of Archaeological Survey of India and main speech by Shri Anil Vallothol, Vice Chancellor of Malayalam University
Rituals being performed on the banks of Bharathapuzha
Speech by Acharya MR Rajesh of Kashyapashram on the importance of Vedas and Upasana
Swamy Chidanandapuri of Advaitashram releasing the book Destroyed Temples of Kerala
This year too, this ancient river festival of Kerala was successfully conducted in the ancient villages of Thavanur and Tirunavaya in Malappuram Kerala. The festival were conducted on three days from 10th to 12th Jan, 2020.
The MahaRudra Yajna and DwiShata Chandi Yajna was conducted with Shri Ramesh Natarajan ji and his wife Smt Gayatri Nayatarajan ji of GRD Iyer Gurukul as Acharyas. More than 100 ritwiks from across the world and Bharat joined the yajnas.
Yajnashala
On 13 Jan 2020, the Sanyasis and Sadhus conducted Nila aarti and Nila Puja (worship of Bharatapuzha). Since the waters during this auspicious time are considered as having presence of all the rivers, many Sadhus also took a ceremonial dip in the river. The Sanyasis who assembled during the event were addressed by Swami Chidananda Puri ji of Advaitashram.
The festival which was stopped in 1766 AD due to invasion of Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan thus stands revived. It is hoped that it shall get bigger with time and regain its ancient status. It is believed by the dharmikas that wherever Devas and nature are honored, it brings spiritual progress and material prosperity to that region and all those who have contributed , supported and have become part of the worship. Honoring the ancient traditions will eventually cause the revival of Dharma in the region.
Traditions are a critical foundation of our culture, a culture that is based on truth, duty, love and respect for all. They help form the structure and basis of our families and our society. It is the traditions, their meanings and values, which shape who we are today and who we are likely to become tomorrow. Once we ignore the meaning of our traditions, we get into the danger of damaging our identity. So, it is beautiful and significant to preserve our unique traditions which are based on honoring the entire nature.
Hidden hatred in his gyration and mystical trances,
He’s not always armed with merely a flute
He secretly loves swords and guns to shoot,
Sufi likes to paint the world dark gory red
Those who don’t convert better drop dead,
Feeble Hindus have been a target so damn easy
To propagate Islamic Jihad all sordid and sleazy,
Under garb of spirituality and awakening the soul
Power and proselytization was the actual goal,
Though we’ve relished Rumi’s poems for years
Never could see Kafirs’ rape blood and tears,
The Chistis and Auliyas have had a darker side
Death and curse for the infidel who did not abide.
Sufism is the mystical school of Islam which is defined as ‘a science whose objective is the reparation of the heart and turning it away from all else but God’. The lexical roots of ‘Sufi’ are usually traced to –
suf = wool
safa’ = purity
Etymologically it may mean somebody wearing a woolen cap or having a pure heart. While the former seems more likely looking at our history, the latter is preferred by Islamic scholars today (for obvious reasons). The Sufi branch of Islam has enjoyed spectacularly good press in the west. Hailed as peaceful mystics who believe jihad is an internal spiritual quest, nothing violent or unpleasant. Sufism has attracted favorable attention and converts from all sorts of infidels around the world.
Sufis are actually devout Muslims praying 5 times a day and following all basic tenets of orthodox Islam. In most Sufi schools, including the Shadhiliyya order of North Africa; the Naqshbandi of Central Asia, the Persian Nimatullahis, Indian Chishtis, Turkish Helvetis, and Qadiris from several dozen countries, a prerequisite to partaking of the teachings is confession of the Islamic statement of faith, the shahadah. How can a religious school which claims only my god is the real god and rest are all false gods be eclectic or syncretic?
La illaha il’Allah, Muhammad ar-Rasul’Allah There is no god but Allah; Muhammad is the Prophet of God
“Sufism is the bastard child born out of the intellectual rape of the Iranian literati by Islam.”
“The Sufis could not reform Islam or make it more humane. All they did is to conceal its ugliness and thus make it even more dangerous trap for the unwitting victims“ – Dr. Ali Sina
While most Indians perceive Sufism as a mystical, syncretic and re-conciliatory halfway house between Islam and Hinduism, the truth is a lot murkier. Though most take Sufis as the ‘good Islam’ (the Islam that prince Charles and David Cameroon adore ), that it is all about peace, tolerance and intoxicated mystical trances, some of the most dangerous violent masterminds have been either Sufis, or aided and eulogized by Sufis.
A close examination of the history of Islamic proselytization activities (Islamization) in India proves that Sufism, through its missionary activities complemented the conversion of Hindus to Islam. Sufism, on one hand supported the Muslim invaders and Sultans in their political activities and reckless killings of the Hindus, and on the other hand, influenced the gullible Hindus through their drama of spiritualism and mysticism.
The greatest Sufi ideologue Ghazali exhorted:
“One must go on jihad at least once a year…one may use a catapult against them [non—Muslims] when they are in a fortress, even if among them are women and children. One may set fire to them and/or drown them…If a person of the Ahl al—Kitab [People of The Book — primarily Jews and Christians] is enslaved, his marriage is [automatically] revoked…One may cut down their trees…One must destroy their useless books. Jihadists may take as booty whatever they decide…they may steal as much food as they need.“
About payment of Jizya by the infidels he wrote:
“The dhimmi is obliged not to mention Allah or His Apostle…Jews, Christians, and Majians must pay the jizya, on offering up the jizya, the dhimmi must hang his head while the official takes hold of his beard and hits [the dhimmi] on the protruberant bone beneath his ear [i.e. the mandible]. They are not permitted to ostentatiously display their wine or church bells…their houses may not be higher than the Muslim’s, no matter how low that is. The dhimmi may not ride an elegant horse or mule; he may ride a donkey only if the saddle is of wood. He may not walk on the good part of the road. They [the dhimmis] have to wear [an identifying] patch [on their clothing], even women, and even in the [public] baths…[dhimmis] must hold their tongue….”
Hasan-Al-Banna the founder of Muslim brotherhood and even some Al Qaeda top honchos have been heavily influenced by Sufism.
Indian Sufis:
When the Turks establishedIslamic rule in India (1206), Sufism gained wide acceptance in Islamic societies. Following the trail of Muslim invaders, Sufis and Sufism poured into India. With them came the new missionary zeal to convert the infidels from darkness to light of Islam.The option of course for those Kafirs who did not convert, was always to die. Many other famous Sufis also revered bloodthirsty Aurangzeb, including the Punjab Sufi Sultan Bahu who wrote ‘Aurang-i-Shahi’ praising the emperor as a just ruler. Now Aurangzeb or Alamgir is notorious in history as the Mughal who tried to annihilate Hinduism completely, destroying temples and suppressing religious practices. Guru Tegh Bahadur and his two close companions Bhai Matti Das and Bhai Fateh Das were executed for refusing to convert to Islam. Aurangzeb’s tomb is in Khuldabad in Maharashtra within the courtyard of the shrine of the Sufi saint Shaikh Burham-u’d-din Gharib.
This association of the most fanatic and intolerant of Mughal emperors with Sufism will shock many who have been fed the belief that all Sufis were purveyors of a soft version of Islam. But the Naqshabandis had always stood for strict interpretation of sharia law. Khwaja Mohammad Baqi Billah Berang, whose tomb is in Delhi, introduced Naqshbandi order in India and due to common Turkic origins with the Mughal invaders, this Sufi order always remained steadfast in its political loyalty right from the invasions of Babar.
Moinuddin Chisti :He’s one of the most popular Sufi saints in India. Born in Sijistan in eastern Persia in C.E. 1141, he came to India with the army of invading marauder Ghori in 1192 and selected Ajmer as his permanent abode since 1195. It is said that once when he went to perform the pilgrimage to the holy tomb of the Prophet Mohammed, one day from the inside of the pure and blessed tomb a cry came: ‘Send for Moinuddin’. When Moinuddin came to the door, he stood there and he saw that presence speak to him.“Mouinuddin, you are the essence of my faith, but must go to Hindustan. There is a place called Ajmer, to which one of my sons (descendants) went for a holy war, and now he has become a martyr, and the place has passed again into the hands of infidels. By the grace of your footsteps there, once more shall Islam be made manifest, and the Kafirs be punished by God’s wrath“.
The Khwaja had a burning desire to destroy the rule of the brave Rajput king, Prithiviraj Chauhan, so much so that he ascribed the victory of Mohammed Ghori in the battle of Tarain entirely to his own spiritual prowess and declared that “We have seized Pithaura (Prithviraj) alive and handed him over to the army of Islam “
Sculpted stones, apparently from a Hindu temple, are incorporated in the Buland Darwãza of Moin-ud-din’s shrine at Ajmer and his tomb is built over a series of cellars which may have formed part of an earlier temple. A tradition, first recorded in the ‘Anis al-Arwãh, suggests that the Sandal Khana is built on the site of Hindu temple. Four Islamic mystics namely Moinuddin (in Ajmer ), Qutubuddin (in Delhi ), Nizamuddin ( in Delhi ) and Fariduddin (in Pattan now in Pakistan ) accompanied the Islamic invaders in India . All of them were from the Chistiya order of Islamic Sufi mysticism.
Nizamuddin Auliya:(1238-1325) -Toeing the orthodox line, he condemned the Hindus to the fire of hell, saying: “The unbelievers at the time of death will experience punishment. At that moment, they will profess belief (Islam) but it will not be reckoned to them as belief because it will not be faith in the Unseen… the faith of (an) unbeliever at death remains unacceptable.” He asserted that “On the day of Resurrection when unbelievers will face punishment and affliction, they will embrace faith but faith will not benefit them, They will also go to Hell, despite the fact that they will go there as believers“. In his khutbas (sermons), Nizamuddin Auliya condemned the infidels as wicked, saying, “He (Allah) has created Paradise and Hell for believers and the infidels in order to repay the wicked for what they have done”.
Auliya’s thought on Jihad against non-Muslims can be gleaned from his statement that Surah Fatihah, first chapter of the Quran, did not contain two of the ten cardinal articles of Islam, which were ‘‘warring with the unbelievers and observing the divine statutes…’’ He did not only believe in warring with the unbelievers or jihad, he came to India with his followers to engage in it. He participated in a holy war commanded by Nasiruddin Qibacha in Multan. When Qibacha’s army was in distress facing defeat, Auliya rushed to him and gave him a magical arrow instructing: ‘‘Shoot this arrow at the direction of the infidel army.’ …Qibacha did as he was told, and when daybreak came not one of the infidels was to be seen; they all had fled!’ When Qazi Mughisuddin inquired about the prospect of victory in the Jihad launched in South India under the command of Malik Kafur, the Auliya uttered in effusive confidence: ‘What is this victory? I am waiting for further victories.’ The Auliya used to accept large gifts sent by Sultan Alauddin from the spoils plundered in jihad expeditions and proudly displayed those at his khanqah (lodge). Auliya had also sent forth Shaykh Shah Jalal, the greatest Sufi saint of Bengal, with 360 disciples to take part in a holy war against King Gaur Govinda of Sylhet.
Amir Khusrau: He showed delights in describing the barbaric slaughter of Hindu captives by Muslim warriors. Describing Khizr Khan’s order to massacre 30,000 Hindus in the conquest of Chittor (Padmini Jauhar) in 1303, he gloated: ‘Praise be to God! That he so ordered the massacre of all chiefs of Hind out of the pale of Islam, by his infidel smiting swords… in the name of this Khalifa of God, that heterodoxy has no rights (in India).’ He took poetic delight in describing Malik Kafur’s destruction of a famous Hindu temple in South India and the grisly slaughter of the Hindus and their priests therein. In describing the slaughter, he wrote, “The heads of Brahmans and idolaters danced from their necks and fell to the ground at their feet, and blood flowed in torrents.” In his bigoted delight at the miserable subjugation of Hindus and the barbarous triumph of Islam in India, he wrote: “The whole country, by means of the sword of our holy warriors, has become like a forest denuded of its thorns by fire? Islam is triumphant, idolatry is subdued. Had not the Law granted exemption from death by the payment of poll-tax, the very name of Hind, root and branch, would have been extinguished. “
Amir Khasrau described many instances of barbaric cruelty, often of catastrophic proportions, inflicted by Muslim conquerors upon the Hindus. But nowhere did he show any sign of grief or remorse, but only gloating delight. While describing those acts of barbarism, he invariably expressed gratitude to Allah, and glory to Muhammad, for enabling the Muslim warriors achieve those glorious feats.
Shaikh Ahmad Sirhindi: The mission of Shaikh Sirhindi popularly known as Mujadid was to purify Islam from the influence of Akbar with a view to countering his policy of “Peace with all”. Unhappy with the regime of Emperor Akbar for withdrawal of Jizya tax imposed on the Hindus, Sirhindi made frantic effort to purge Islam of all extraneous influences. He viewed Hindu mystics like Guru Nanak and Sant Kabir despicable, as they did not follow Sharia. Sirhindi condemned the reign of Akbar for his ‘broadmindedness’ and policy of ‘peace with all’.
He strongly criticized freedom of worship granted to the Hindus. Hate-Hindu syndrome was so deep in him that death of Akbar (1605) filled Shaikh Ahmad with hopes that the pristine purity of Islam would be implanted in India. With his strong contempt against Shias and the Hindus, Sirhind wrote several letters to the nobles in the court of Jahangir for guiding the emperor on the path of Shariat, and for removal of Kafirs (Shias and Hindus) from the administration. He was dead against any honourable status of Hindus in Islamic government. Sirhind wanted the religious freedom enjoyed by the Hindus during Akbar regime to be curbed. Enraged with his too much interference in administration, Jahangir imprisoned him in Gwalior but released him after one year. Despite this anti-Hindu tirade of Sirhindi, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad in 1919 eulogized the role of Mujaddid (Sirhind). He once wrote: “The honor of Islam lies in insulting kufr and kafirs. One who respects the kafirs dishonors the Muslims. The real purpose of levying jiziya on them is to humiliate them to such an extent that they may not be able to dress well and to live in grandeur. They should constantly remain terrified and trembling. It is intended to hold them under contempt and to uphold the honor and might of Islam.“
Shah Waliullah: This traitor who invited Ahmed Shah Abdali to invade India was a Sufi belonging to Naqshbandi order. Waliullah believed that he was sent by God to save and lead the Muslims of India. To revive Muslim power in India, Waliullah decided to deliver a death blow to the Marathas, Sikhs, and the Jats. He wrote letters to Najib-ud-Daulah and Ahmad Shah Abdali, advising that Muslim property should not be looted by the army. In one letter, he warned Ahmad Shah Abdali to watch out for some Hindus in his service who appeared loyal to him but were actually insincere to Abdali’s cause. In his letters, he advised that Muslim soldiers could not fight against Muslim rulers as God would check their movement and prevent any action which could be harmful to Islam.
According to Shah Waliullah, the subcontinent was not the real homeland for the Muslims and that they were mere strangers. He introduced the idea among the Muslims of India that they should embrace Arab culture and language and that God would help them to get out of the subcontinent. Had it not been for this Islamic extremist born in india who invited non -Indians to attack India, the third battle of Panipat ( 14 Jan 1761) might not have taken place. Sad and ironical that this Jihadi fundamentalist ‘inspired’ orthodox Sunni Deobandi school of Islam in India which has a high percentage of followers among Indian Muslims.
Waliullah’s traitorous letter to Afghan King Abdali to invade India
Sufis in Kashmir:
Bulbul Shah and Shah Mir: Both Sufis treacherously sowed the seeds of Islam in Kashmir (the land of Rishi Kashyap) by fraudulently converting Prince Rinchain to Islam.There was competition and conflict between Buddhism and Hinduism in the court of King Rinchain. Shah Mir convinced Rinchain that he could choose to convert to Hinduism, Buddhism or Islam. Shah Mir suggested to Rinchain that he could convert to the religion of the first person they encounter next morning. The next morning when they left the palace, the first person they met was Muslim Sufi Sayed Sharafuddin Bulbul Shah who was performing his morning prayers. Rinchain converted to Islam and adopted the Muslim name of Sultan Sadruddin. Shah Mir pre-planned the morning meeting with Bulbul Shah to convert King Rinchan to Islam.
Syed Hamdani: The first thing he did was to build his khanqah [lodge or ashram] on the site of a small temple which was demolished. Hamdani was horrified by the un-Islamic practices of Kashmiri Muslims, and forbade this laxity and tried to revive orthodoxy. The reigning Sultan Qutbud-Din tried to adopt Islamic orthodoxy in his personal life, but “failed to propagate Islam in accordance with the wishes and aspirations of Amir Sayyid Ali Hamdani” . As a result, the Sufi saint left Kashmir because of his reluctance to live in a land dominated by the idolatrous culture, customs and creed. This is what Syed Hamdani sanctioned for Kashmiri Hindus:-
Amir Sayyid Muhammad Hamdani: The Sufi who came to Kashmir during the reign of Sikander and changed him to ‘Sikandar Butshikan’ (“Sikandar the Iconoclast”).Sikandar won the sobriquet of butshikan or idol-breaker, due to his actions related to the desecration and destruction of numerous temples, caityas, viharas, shrines, hermitages and other holy places of the Hindus and Buddhists. He banned dance, drama, music and iconography as aesthetic activities of the Hindus and Buddhists and declared them as heretical and un-Islamic. He forbade the Hindus to apply a tilak mark on their foreheads. He did not permit them to pray and worship, blow a conch shell or toll a bell. Eventually he went on burning temples and all Kashmiri texts to eliminate Shirk. Sikandar stopped Hindus and Buddhists from cremating their dead. Jizya (poll-tax) equal to 4 tolas of silver was imposed on the Hindus. Writes A.K. Mujumdar,“These Sufi Muslim immigrants brought with them that fanatic iconoclastic zeal which distinguished Islam in other parts of India, but from which Kashmir was happily free up to this time.” He further records, “Sikandar’s reign was disgraced by a series of acts, inspired by religious bigotry and iconoclastic zeal for which there is hardly any parallel in the annals of the Muslim rulers of Kashmir.”
Sufi terror in Bengal:
An investigation of two greatest Sufi saints of Bengal outlined below will give us an inkling of the roles Sufis played in the proselytization and how peaceful it was. Two Jalaluddins, Shaykh Jalaluddin Tabrizi (d. 1226 or 1244) and Shaykh Shah Jalal (d. 1347), were the greatest Sufi saints of Bengal. Shaykh Jalaluddin Tabrizi came to Bengal after Bakhtiyar Khilji conquered Bengal defeating the Hindu King Lakshman Sena in 1205. He settled in Devtala near Pandua (Maldah, West Bengal). He is said to have “converted large number of Kafirs” to Islam but the method of his conversions is unknown. According to Syed Athar Abbas Rizvi, ‘a kafir (Hindu or Buddhist) had erected a large temple and a well (at Devtala). The Shaikh demolished the temple and constructed a takiya (khanqah)…’ This will give one a good deal of idea about the kind of means this great Sufi saint had employed in converting the kafirs to Islam.
Shaykh Shah Jalal, the other great Sufi saint of Bengal, had settled in Sylhet. He is regarded as a national hero by Bangladeshi Muslims. Shah Jalal and his disciples are credited with converting a large majority of Bengalis to Islam through truly peaceful means.
When Shah Jalal came to settle in Sylhet in East Bengal (now Bangladesh), it was ruled by a Hindu king, named Gaur Govinda. Before his arrival in Bengal, Sultan Shamsuddin Firuz Shah of Gaur had twice attacked Gaur Govinda; these campaigns were led by his nephew, Sikandar Khan Ghazi. On both occasions, the Muslim invaders were defeated. The third assault against Gaur Govinda was commanded by the sultan’s Chief General Nasiruddin. Shaykh Nizamuddin Auliya sent forth his illustrious disciple Shah Jalal with 360 followers to participate in this Jihad campaign. Shah Jalal reached Bengal with his followers and joined the Muslim army. In the fierce battle that ensued, King Gaur Govinda was defeated. According to traditional stories, the credit for the Muslim victory goes to Shah Jalal and his disciples.
As a general rule, every victory in Muslim campaigns brought a great many slaves, often tens to hundreds of thousand, who involuntarily became Muslim. Undoubtedly, on the very first day of Shah Jalal’s arrival in Sylhet, he helped conversion of a large number of kafirs by means of their enslavement at the point of the sword—a very peaceful means of propagating Islam indeed! Ibn Battutah, who paid a visit to Shah Jalal in Sylhet, records that his effort was instrumental in converting the infidels who embraced Islam there. But he gives no detail of the measures the Sufi saint employed in the conversion. One must take into consideration that Shah Jalal ‘came to India with 700 companions to take part in Jihad (holy war)’ and that he fought a bloody Jihad against King Gaur Govinda. These instances give a clear idea of the tools he had applied in converting the Hindus of Sylhet.
In another instance, Sufi saint Nur Qutb-i-Alam played a central role in making a high profile convert in Bengal. In 1414, Ganesha, a Hindu prince, revolted against Muslim rule and captured power in Bengal. The ascension of a Hindu to power created strong revulsion amongst both the Sufis and the Ulema. They repudiated his rule and enlisted help from Muslim rulers outside of Bengal. Responding to their call, Ibrahim Shah Sharqi invaded Bengal and defeated Ganesha. Nur Qutb-i-Alam, the leading Sufi master of Bengal, now stepped in to broker a truce. He forced Ganesha to abdicate and Ganesha’s twelve-year-old son Jadu was converted to Islam and placed on the throne under the name of Sultan Jalaluddin Muhammad. This conversion by a Sufi saint, call it peacefully or at the point of the sword, proved a boon for Islam. The Sufis (also the Ulema) trained the converted young sultan in Islam so well that he became a bloody converter of the infidels to Islam through extreme violence. There took place, says the Cambridge History of India, a wave of conversions in the reign of Jalaluddin Muhammad (1414–31).
About Jalaluddin’s distinguished role in converting the Hindus of Bengal to Islam, Dr James Wise wrote in the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal (1894) that ‘the only condition he offered was the Koran or death… many Hindus fled to Kamrup and the jungles of Assam, but it is nevertheless possible that more Mohammedans were added to Islam during these seventeen years (1414–31) than in the next three hundred years.’
Sufis and Gullible Hindus
The Sufis in India found great acceptability among gullible Hindus and they were respected for their deportment, dress, and use of Hindu terminology and for the manner in which they generally conducted themselves. They even adapted and adopted Hindu methods to make their cult attractive. It was propagated that the Atharva Veda was faithfully practiced by them. Their ‘Rishi Movement’ was an integral component of the process of Islamisation that started in the Kashmir valley in the wake of the introduction of the Sufi orders from Central Asia and Iran in the fourteenth century. In general they used their spiritual clout for converting Hindus without immediately changing their culture, i.e. externally they would be Hindus, but internally they were Muslims (crypto-Muslims) following all Hindu practices . The following terms common to Sufis all over the world and most probably borrowed by Sufis originally from Hindus, were used stressing their similarity to Hindu concepts.
‘Fikr’ – Dhyan
‘Zikr’ – Smarana or Japa
‘Voral Zikr ‘ – Bhajan
‘Wird ‘ – Manana
‘Shuhud’ – Final stage of dhyana
‘Tasbih’ – Mala or rosary
The following Sufi terms were used for their equivalents for the various Hindu stages of spiritual progress –
‘Talab’ – Yearning for God
‘Ishq’ – Love for this attainment
‘Marfat ‘ – Enlightenment after realisation
‘Fana’ – Surrender
‘Tauhid ‘ – Experiencing Allah permeating all
‘Hairat ‘ – Ecstasy attained at the sight of Divinity
‘Fukr Wa Fana’ – Moksha or Nirvana
Conclusion: Sufism in India has commonly been viewed as a secular attempt for eternal quest of the soul for its direct experience of the ultimate Super power. For centuries imbecile Hindus accepted Sufi shrines as a a symbol of communal harmony. A large number of them have been offering prayers in Sufi shrines without any reservation, but this liberal gesture has not been reciprocated ever by Muslims.Had Sufism been as commonly been viewed as an attempt to adapt Islam in Hindu tradition, there would have been no Islamic Jihad and separatism in India.. Contrary to the common perception that Sufism tried to unify the Hindu-Muslim spirituality for a communal harmony, the political Islamists of Sufi background accelerated the process of Muslim separatism in Indian subcontinent. Their movements were the by-products of Sufi tradition of Islam, and were basically in favour of the political power of Islam in India. The ideology propounded by Waliullah finally ended up vivisecting the country in 1947.
Hindus in this country have been misled into believing that these Sufis were spirituality seekers analogous to Hindu sages and seers. These savages have been presented as saints by dhimmi Indian politicians, ignorant Bollywood actors, careless cricketers and so called secular media. Self-loathing feeble minded dhimmi Hindus have always been like turkeys voting for an early Christmas.
In the south-western part of New Delhi, the area that is now called Vasant Kunj, few kilometers from Qutub Minar, lies the tomb of prince Nasirudin Mahmud, eldest son of Mughal Sultan Shamsud-Din Iltutmish.
Indira Gandhi Centre of Arts, Ministry of Culture, GOI says about Sultanghari on its website –
‘The Sultan Ghari’s tomb lies about 8 km southwest of the Qutub, near Mahipalpur (originally known as malkapur). It was built in 1231 by Sultan Iltutmish over the remains of his eldest son and heir-apparent, prince Nasiru’d-Din Mahmud.
Laid out within a walled enclosure with bastions on corners, which impart it the look of a fortress, its octagonal grave-chamber lies underground, as the level around it was raised by a rubble-packing. The ceiling rests on columns raised with two pillars each robbed from an earlierHindu shrine; carved lintels from another were found embedded in the thick lime-concrete roof. Other pieces were used in the ceilings of the prayer-chamber and bastions and the pillars re-utilised in the verandahs, originally used as a madrasa, after chipping the decoration off them. The tomb was repaired later by Firoz Shah Tughluq.’
Almost every source or mention of Sultanghari on the web uses the word ‘built’ for a glaring example of an intolerant wound inflicted on the history of a dharmika heritage which has been now crying for about 800 years that it has been forcibly hybridized and appropriated, initially with force, and later the acceptance came by the sheer propaganda of secularism. This in spite of the fact, that most historical written sources mention that a hindu structure, most probably a temple, stood there and the destructed parts of which were unabashedly misused to create the tomb.
The monument of Sultanghari is made of grey granite, red sandstone & marble with Hindu motifs and later-era Islamic inscription were added tastelessly to mark a religious victory. If nothing else, the pictures are narrating the saga eloquently.
Various ASI (Archeological Survey of India) officers in the past have written about the existence of a Hindu structure, most probably a big temple, at the exact location of Sultanghari, which was constructed during the Gurjara-Pratihara period. Some of these are mentioned in the book ‘Hindu Masjids’ by Prafull Goradia. Quoting some important statements from the book –
Naqvi has taken pains to describe at length the edifice which began as a temple, got converted into a tomb and to which was added a masjid with a marble mehrab and then a gate with pretty Arabic calligraphy of verses from the Holy Quran. As he puts it, the gateway projects 13 ~feet from the enclosure wall and is approached and entered by a flight of steps flanked by two square rooms which are roofed with stone slabs in the Hindu fashion. The external archway of the gate is formed by overlapping courses of marble and around it is the important Arabic inscription in Kufic characters.
He winds up his description with the words: The Hindu elements in the architecture of the monument are apparent in the dome of the mosque and the partly defaced Hindu motifs on some of the pillar brackets of the western colonnade. Thepresence of a Gauripatta or receptacle of a linga in the pavement of the western colonnade is a further significant point. Furthermore, the marble stones in the external facade of the mosque are serially numbered, indicating their removal from elsewhere.
The book also mentions historian Cunnigham’s writing on Sultanghari –
Cunningham’s observations made in 1871/72 should be taken even more seriously because his impartiality would be beyond doubt. There would be no bias as between the Hindu and Muslim viewpoints. In the ASI report of those years, he has written that the tomb of Sultan Ghari, with its domes of overlapping courses, appears to be pre-Muhammadan, but when to this feature we add the other Hindu features, both of construction and ornamentation, the stones set without cement in the walls, the appearance of wear or weathering of the stones, greater even than in the Kutb, though similar in material, and the fact that the inner cell was originally finished in granite, but afterwards cased with marble, it becomes extremely probable that this is, like the Kutb, a Hindu building appropriated by the Muhammadans, and the probability is rendered almost a certainty by the existence of the central cell, which is a construction adapted to some Hindu forms of worship, the Saivic, but which is an anomaly in Muhammadan architecture.
Tomb of Nasirudin Mahmud
Colonnade with different size slabs Source – Wikipedia
Hindu temple pillars
One of the inscriptions in Sultanghari Source – Sanskriti Magazine
So, from most records it is evident that there indeed was a reverential Hindu structure twisted and turned into a tyrannical victory reeking of absolutism in the oppressive sense. However, the author of ‘Hindu Masjids’ and other locals of the Sultanghari area mention that both Hindus and Muslims have been offering prayers in the said premises since several years and therefore, this has come to be a symbol of Muslim tolerance.
Calling it ‘tolerance’ is baffling, because in a Hindu majority nation post Independence, one is only allowed genuine ownership of barely a very small fraction of the real heritage that is centuries old and that has survived through sacrificing a lot of blood. This is the truth that has to be accepted here. And this truth is based on historical evidential validity. That it is not indeed ‘tolerance’, it is in fact a make-believe tolerance in cases where there is clear evidence that the heritage truly belongs to the Hindus but the claim to it, is shared. This ‘tolerance’ will cease to exist if at all this becomes a Muslim majority nation and the entire history is evidence of it.
A look at different sources of information about Sultanghari suggests planned restoration work. Most suggest that the heritage area of Sultan Ghari extends to 61.8 acres. This monument has been declared as a Grade A monument by the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), The plan of restoration is under implementation by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and it seems to have undertaken the following construction activities as per Wikipedia –
The entrance gates of the Tomb have been built with dolphur sandstones to match with the architectural setting of the Sultan Ghari tomb, adopting the same technique as used for building the domes.
100 m of restricted area and 200 m of regulated area are demarcated and fenced and four approach paths/ tracks constructed that lead to the main tomb.
A water conservation plan (water harvesting) has also been evolved to partially meet the water requirements for the park around the tomb.
ASI’s control extends only up to 300 m from the tomb since the rest of the area surrounding it is proposed for urban development by the Army.
So as we can see, the authorities seem more interested in protecting the later creativity of appropriation of a structure rather than reclaiming the original heritage that could be older than two millenniums. Of course, the tomb and the appropriation is also a part of history, but to provide balm to civilisational wounds, an independent Bharat could do well to shift the appropriated parts of the structure to somewhere else.
So while all history has to be accepted, we have heritage sites, especially Sultanghari, clamoring for a rightful presentation as a dedication to its ancestors who must have gone at length to try and preserve what they built with great devotion and taste.
This article is part of our efforts to research, document and publish about the ancient Hindu temples that came under the sword of Islamic invaders, so that Hindu society can reclaim, restore and revive them. You can contribute towards the efforts via https://reclaimtemples.com/donations/support/ or via UPI/BHIM to donate@hsbc
Freeing Hindu temples from government control is a demand that is vociferously heard and debated in many platforms. The matter is also raised by politicians during elections and is forgotten soon after that. The Hindu temples continues to be milch cows for politicians as they toil hard in their pursuit of power.
In this regard it is essential to learn few facts, the geneses and evolution of the state control of Hindu temples.
British colonial administration
When Bharat was ruled by Kings in the ancient and recent past, many grand temples were constructed under royal patronage. It was customary on part of Kings to set aside the land and produce of villages to meet the expenses incurred in the worship and rituals of the Deity. Small temples had only few villages assigned to them, but larger temples had hundreds of villages whose land revenue and produce were used for the purposes of the Deity. Eventually all these lands were considered as belonging to the Presiding Deity of the temple.
This continued for a long time till the advent of the British. The British slowly took over the reigns of the various princely states of Bharat. The East India company enacted laws enabling the vesting in itself, the superintendence of all the lands granted for support of Hindu temples. This enabled the colonial administration to tap into the land revenue and also the gold and wealth of Hindu temples.
This however had another facet. The colonial administration also got entangled in the administration of Hindu temples. The officers of the British East India company involved and participated in the various rituals and festivals of the Hindu temples. The England at that time was not a secular state. The “Act of Supremacy” enacted in 1534 declared that the monarch was the “Supreme Head of the Church of England”. The participation of the colonial administration in rituals and festivals of Hindu temples angered the Christian missionaries and the Church.
Back in England, the missionaries and the clergy exerted their influence on the British government and knocked the highest echelons of the East India Company. As a result in 1833, the Court of Directors of the company issued instructions asking all the officer to desists from the administration of Hindu temples and participation in the Hindu festivals. The order went thus “The interference of British Functionaries in the interior management of native temples, in the customs, habits and religious proceedings of their priests and attendants, in the arrangement of their ceremonies, rites and festivals, and generally in the conduct of their interior economy, shall cease.”
The colonial government further reinforced their intent to keep away from temple administration when in 1863 a law was enacted which said that it would no longer be “lawful” for “any Government in India, or for any Officer of any Government” in his official capacity, to take over the “superintendence of any land or other property” belonging to a “Mosque, Temple, or other religious establishment”, to take part in the “management or appropriation of any [religious] endowment”, to nominate or appoint any trustee in a religious institution, “or to be in any way concerned therewith”. It was clear from this that the British considered the administration of Hindu temples as a burden and wanted to keep away from it. This ended the brief period where the British colonial government controlled Hindu temples. All Hindu temples were freed from the colonial administration.
Indian politicians enter the fray
However things again changed with the Government of India Act of 1919. As per the Act, elected legislators or Indian politicians entered the British Indian administration. Certain subjects were reserved by British government for administration by elected legislature and they were termed provincial subjects. The politicians found it suited to follow the British policy of suppression and oppression rather than fight the British. These politicians behaved like the loyal slaves of British, trying their best not to offend them in any manner. They carefully charted their path accordingly.
In 1926 Madras Hindu Religious Endowments Act was passed by Indian politicians, taking over the administration of all temples in the Madras state. This sowed the seeds of administration of Hindu temples in modern India. Strangely it was the Indian politicians and not the British who fathered this monstrous law which is being used by every government to extract temple revenue to suit their own purposes. The Madras Hindu Religious Endowments Act was duplicated in many states soon, as every politician wanted a share of the wealth belonging to Hindu Deities and was looking for ingenious ways for a legalized loot.
Conditions remain the same ever after close to a century since the first law to control Hindu temples was enacted. As of now there are more than 300 legislation and rules which enable governments to interfere on temple administration. The existence of various state governments is intrinsically linked to the money they manage to loot from Hindu temples under the guise of various schemes.
When it comes to looting Hindu temples, all politicians have showed remarkable ingenuity in hiving off its wealth. While politicians like Devendra Phadnavis used temple money to finance his irrigation and development schemes, politicians like Narendra Modi wanted temple gold to be invested in certain Tughlaq schemes of his making.
The path ahead
We have done an analysis of the various legislations by which governments interfere in temple administration. This is available for download via reclaimtemples.com/templelaws
The path ahead is sure to be interesting as we are fighting against a well entrenched enemy who will use all the wealth of Hindu temples against any attempt to displace them from temple administration. Also even if the governments are vacated from Hindu temples, there will be an influx of the clans, cults, mathas of various hues who will try to take over all the wealthy temples. A solution is to have a system where the top executive and decision making body is elected democratically by all devotees of the temple. We have made a draft law of temple administration and it can be downloaded from here. Admistration of Hindu temples Draft Act v 2.1, 2020
On our part we will start the legal process where the oppressive legislations will be targeted one by one and state by state. This is ultimately a process which needs to end in agitation for success to be visible. This is a small step in this regard. Ultimately this is a fight for Hindu society and the outcome will depend on the participation of general public. Any contribution can be made via imojo.in/legal
