By Saurabh
महाराष्ट्र का अबंरनाथ मंदिर भारत के प्राचीन मंदिरों में से एक है जो अपनी अद्वितीय स्थापत्य कला के लिए विख्यात है। 11वी सदी मे निर्मित यह मंदिर भगवान शिव को समर्पित है। यह भव्य मंदिर वाल्डुनी नदी के तट पर स्थित है।पौराणिक कथा के अनुसार, यह मंदिर एक रात में पांडवों द्वारा एक पत्थर से बनाया गया था क्योंकि उन्होंने यहां आश्रय लिया था। मंदिर का गर्भगृह जमीनी सतह से नीचा है , जहाँ पहुँचने के लिए मंडप से लगभग 20 सीढियाँ उतरनी होती है । मंदिर का शिखर खुला हुआ है और किंवदंती है कि यहाँ एक गुप्त मार्ग है जो कि पांडवों द्वारा उपयोग किया गया था। दिलचस्प बात यह है कि आज आप यहाँ एक गलियारा पाएंगे जिस पर ताला लगा दिया गया है और किसी को इसके भीतर जाने की अनुमति नहीं है। प्रति वर्ष लाखों हिंदू यहाँ दर्शन हेतु आते है , पवित्र श्रावण माह व शिवरात्रि पर श्रद्धालुओं मे विशेष उत्साह होता है ।
आज दुर्भाग्य वश यह प्राचीन मंदिर भारतीय जनता पार्टी की तुष्टिकरण का शिकार हो गया है। केंद्र में एनडीए सरकार के राजनेताओं का गठबंधन, बीजेपी शासित महाराष्ट्र राज्य और भारतीय जनता पार्टी के सत्तारूढ़ उल्हासनगर के पार्षद , मंदिर के पास एक मुस्लिम कब्रिस्तान को स्वीकृत कर मंदिर की पवित्रता को अपमानित करने के लिए एक साथ आए हैं।हिंदुत्व राजनीति के प्रणेताओं ने कुछ वोटों के खातिर मुस्लिम तुष्टिकरण के पुराने रास्ते को अपनाना शुरू कर दिया , जो कि बड़ी भूल साबित हो सकती है क्योंकि देश भर के हिंदू गहन सदमे में है । सबसे दुखद बात यह है कि तुष्टिकरण की गन्दी राजनीति के लिए उन्होंने प्राचीन मंदिर को अपमानित करके और मंदिर के पास रहने वाले सैकड़ों हिंदू परिवारों को विस्थापित करने का फैसला मुस्लिमों को प्रसन्न के लिए किया है।
क्षेत्र के मुस्लिम पहले से उपयोग किए जाने वाले कब्रिस्तान के अलावा एक नया कब्रिस्तान मांग रहे थे। सरकार द्वारा उन्हें एक ऐसी भूमि जारी की गई जो पहले मंदिर से बहुत दूर थी पर मुस्लिम कब्रिस्तान के लिए आवंटित भूमि का विरोध बिल्डर माफिया ने किया क्योंकि इससे उनकी संपत्ति का मूल्य कम हो जाएगा। फडणवीस सरकार का माफिया के आगे झुक कर हिन्दु भावनाओं को ठेस पहुँचाना बेहद शर्मनाक कृत्य है। मुस्लिम कब्रिस्तान के लिए आवंटित मूल भूमि बदल दी गई थी और प्रशासन द्वारा अंबरनाथ शिव मंदिर के पास एक नई भूमि को अंतिम रूप दिया गया ।
नई आवंटित भूमि का हिंदू व मुस्लिम दोंनो विरोध कर रहे है क्योंकि मुस्लिम हिंदू समुदाय के साथ अनावश्यक टकराव नहीं चाहते , क्योंकि कब्रिस्तान शिव मंदिर को अपमानित करेगा। इसके अलावा मुस्लिम कब्रिस्तान के लिए आवंटित नई भूमि में गणेश विसर्जन तालाब भी शामिल है जिसका उपयोग वर्तमान मे गणेशोत्सव के दौरान हिंदुओं द्वारा किया जाता है ।
विरोध के बावजूद छद्म राजनेताओं और राज्य प्रशासन ने , दोनों हिन्दू व मुस्लिम समुदाय को चुप रहने और पूरे मामले को उनके पास छोड़ने का झूठा आश्वासन दिया है। निश्चित रूप से राजनेता , दलालों और बिल्डर माफिया को मना करने का साहस नहीं कर सके तो आसान था हिंदू परिवारों को विस्थापित करना और शिव मंदिर को अपमानित कर हिंदुओं की आस्था से खिलवाड़ करना क्योंकि हिंदुओं ने अपनी सुरक्षा और सुरक्षा के लिए भाजपा और आरएसएस पर पूरी तरह भरोसा किया है , पर बदले मे हिंदुओं के साथ विश्वासघात किया जा रहा है ।
दिलचस्प बात यह है कि गणेश विसर्जन टैंक का निर्माण प्लाट नम्बर 243 पर ₹ 80 लाख मे इसी नगरपालिका परिषद द्वारा कराया गया था । देवेंद्र फडणवीस सरकार मंदिर के समीप की पूरी जमीन को कब्रिस्तान बनाने के लिए गणेश टैंक को भी तोड़ने को तैयार है ।
केंद्र की मोदी सरकार के हस्तक्षेप से इस प्रक्रिया मे तेजी आई । ऐसा कहा जाता है कि वर्ष 2017 मे इस क्षेत्र के मुसलमानों ने नरेंद्र मोदी से हस्तक्षेप करने का अनुरोध किया और उन्होंने इस मामले को अल्पसंख्यक मामलों के मंत्री मुख्तार अब्बास नकवी को सौंपा। इस पर नकवी ने महाराष्ट्र सरकार को एक पत्र लिखा था कि वे मुसलमानों के लिए कब्रिस्तान बनाने के अनुरोध पर कार्य करें।
केंद्र सरकार के हस्तक्षेप के बाद अबंरनाथ मंदिर के पास एक कब्रिस्तान बनाने की प्रक्रिया तेजी आ गई । उल्हासनगर नगर निगम जो भारतीय जनता पार्टी द्वारा शासित है, ने भूमि को कब्रिस्तान में बदलने की अधिसूचना जारी कर दी। यह भूमि बाढ़ क्षेत्र मे आती है इसलिए इसका उपयोग कब्रिस्तान के रूप में उपयोग के लिए निषिद्ध है पर यहाँ कई अधिकारियों की अनुशंसाओं को अनदेखा किया गया , जिन्होंने इसकी अवैधता पर सवाल उठाए।
ओछी राजनीति मे अंधे कुछ धूर्त राजनेता जो वोटों के लिए किसी भी हद तक गिर सकते है , के लिए नियम और कानून कोई बाधा नहीं थे। उन्होंने कब्रिस्तान की भूमि सीमांकन प्रक्रिया को आगे बढाया । हिंदुत्व के राजनेताओं के विश्वासघात से हिंदू खतरे में थे और उच्च न्यायालय जाने के अलावा उनके पास अन्य कोई विकल्प नहीं बचा था। इस अंतिम विकल्प को भी महाराष्ट्र सरकार ने अपने हलफनामे में झूठ बोलकर अदालत को गुमराह कर दिया , अदालत को यह विश्वास दिलाया गया कि बनाया गया कब्रिस्तान कानून के अनुसार है और हिंदुओं का अदालत आना, दुर्भावनाओ से प्रेरित है जबकि तथ्य यह है कि कब्रिस्तान बिल्डर माफिया के दबाव पर अमरनाथ शिव मंदिर के पास स्थानांतरित किया गया है।
नीचे नक्शा स्पष्ट रुप से दिखा रहा है कि प्रस्तावित कब्रिस्तान शिव मंदिर से केवल 223 मीटर दूर है। इसके अलावा कब्रिस्तान की प्रस्तावित भूमि मे भूमि मे लगभग 250 हिंदू परिवार रहते हैं व गणपति विसर्जन टैंक भी शामिल है जिसे कब्रिस्तान के लिए नष्ट कर दिया जाएगा ।
अदालत के माध्यम से हिंदुओं के न्याय से वंचित होते ही , सफलता से उत्साहित, उल्हासनगर नगर निगम ने तुरंत 250 हिन्दू परिवारों को प्रस्तावित कब्रिस्तान के निर्माण हेतु अपने घर खाली करने के लिए नोटिस जारी कर दिए । महाराष्ट्र सरकार द्वारा परिवारों को कोई वैकल्पिक आवास या जमीन नहीं दी गई । इस तथ्य को भी नजरअंदाज कर दिया गया था कि लोगों से उनके घर छीनना , खराब मानसून मे महिलाओं, बच्चों व बुजुर्गों व परिवार के अन्य लोगों के लिए अत्यंत दुखदाई साबित होगा।
वास्तव मे फडणवीस सरकार की पहली प्राथमिकता 250 हिंदू परिवारों को बेघर कर मुर्दों को घर देना व मुस्लिम तुष्टिकरण की है ।
अंबरनाथ शिव मंदिर में लाखों भक्त शिवरात्रि उत्सव के दौरान यहाँ दर्शनार्थ आते है । भविष्य में , मंदिर के आसपास की भूमि का इस्तेमाल मुसलमानों द्वारा मुर्दों को दफनाने और मुस्लिम धार्मिक उद्देश्यों के कारण सांप्रदायिक तनाव पैदा होगा ।
हालांकि हिंदू समुदाय का हार मानने या आत्मसमर्पण करने का कोई विचार नहीं है। एक नया प्रतिरोध उत्पन्न हुआ है, पुनरुत्थान प्रारंभ हो गया है। जैसा कि स्वघोषित हिन्दुओं के रक्षक और हिन्दू पॉप राष्ट्रीय स्वयंसेवक संघ ने अपना मुंह नही खोला हैं और जलती हुई समस्या से खुद को अलग कर रखा है, हिंदू युवा अब सनातन धर्म की रक्षा के लिए मैदान में प्रवेश कर रहे हैं और हमारे मंदिरों की सुरक्षा व पवित्रता को संरक्षित करने व हिंदू समाज के हितों को बचाने हेतु प्रतिबद्ध है ।
सवाल यह है कि क्या हिंदू समाज कांग्रेस व भारतीय जनता पार्टी और राष्ट्रीय स्वयंसेवक संघ के द्वारा छला जाता रहेगा । कश्मीर के हिंदुओं पर राजनीतिक दलो द्वारा किए गए घाव जहां वे अलगाववादियों के पक्ष में खडे थे, अभी भी देश के हर हिंदू के दिमाग में ताजा है।
क्या हिन्दू अपने मंदिरों को अशुद्ध होने देंगे और मासूम परिवारों को बेघर होने देंगे ? या क्या हिन्दू भारतीय जनता पार्टी के गद्दारों से उत्तर मांगेंगे जिन्होंने हिन्दू समाज के साथ धोखा किया है ? क्या हिन्दू राष्ट्रीय स्वयंसेवक संघ के नेताओ से सवाल करेंगे जिन्होंने हमारे मंदिरों की पवित्रता की रक्षा करने से इनकार कर दिया है? क्या हिन्दू आंतरिक गद्दारों और बाहरी दुश्मनों की संयुक्त शक्ति से लड़ने में सक्षम होंगे?
समय बताएगा।
Ambarnath Temple in Maharashtra is one of the ancient temples of Bharat and is known for its unique architecture. It was built in 11th century AD and is dedicated to Lord Shiva. This magnificent temple is located on the banks of Waldhuni river.
According to legend, this temple was carved from a single stone by Pandavas in one night as they took shelter here. The temple has its Garbhagriha below the ground, reached by around 20 steps from the Mandapa. The temple has open Shikhara, and legend has it that the temple has hidden passageway which was used by Pandavas. Interestingly you will find a passage that is now locked and nobody is allowed to go through. Every year lakhs of Hindus visit the temple especially during the holy Shravan month and Sivratri festivals.
Unfortunately the ancient temple and the Deity has become victim to the appeasement politics of Bharatiya Janata Party. A coterie of politicians from NDA government at centre, BJP government ruling Maharashtra state and Corporators of Bharatiya Janata Party ruling Ulhasnagar have come together to desecrate the sanctity of the temple by allowing a Muslim graveyard in the vicinity of the temple. Hindus of the area were in a rude shock when they saw the proponents of Hindutva politics started treading the same old path of Muslim appeasement for a few votes. The hardest part was that they chose to appease Muslims by desecrating the ancient temple and also by displacing hundreds of Hindu families living near the temple.
Muslims of the area were demanding a new graveyard for them in addition to the one they already use. They were issued a land which was far away from the temple at first. However the land allocated for Muslim graveyard were opposed by builder mafia as they feared this will lower the value their property being developed. Our Prime Minister Narendra Modi is hell bent on providing safe haven for businessmen, the BJP government in Maharashtra was no lesser in their friendliness with realtors. The original land allotted for Muslim graveyard was changed and a new land near Ambarnath Siva temple was finalised by the administration.
The new land near the Ambarnath temple was opposed by both Hindus and Muslims of the area. Muslims feared that this will lead to unnecessary confrontation with Hindu community, as graveyard will desecrate the Siva temple. Also the Muslim graveyard also included Ganesh Visarjan pond that was used by Hindus during Ganeshotsav. However the politicians and state administration have asked them to keep quiet and leave the whole matter to them. Surely the politicians couldn’t offend the realtors and builder mafia. Easier was to displace Hindu families and desecrate the Siva temple, as Hindus have relied totally on BJP and RSS for their safety and security.
The Ganesh Visarjan tank was actually made by the same municipal council at a cost of Rs.80 lakhs on plot no. 243 . The Ganesh tank would also be demolished by the Devendra Fadnavis government as part of converting the entire land into a graveyard.
The intervention of the Narendra Modi government at centre also quickened the whole process. In year 2017, it is said that Muslims of the region requested Narendra Modi to intervene and he entrusted the matter to Muqtar Abbas Naqvi, the Minority Affairs minister. Naqvi inturn wrote a letter to Maharashtra government asking them to act on the request for graveyard for Muslims.
The process of making a graveyard near Ambarnath temple was hastened after central intervention. The Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation which is governed by Bharatiya Janata Party issued notification of converting the land into graveyard. This was done by ignoring the recommendation of many officers who cited the illegality of the same. The land was coming in the flood zone and was prohibited for use as graveyard.
But for those politicians who were blind in appeasement and with insatiable hunger for votes, rules and laws were no hinderance. They went ahead with the process of demarcation of land as graveyard. Hindus were alarmed at the betrayal of the Hindutva politicians and had no other option except to move High Court. However the remedy was denied as the Maharashtra government on oath misled the court with blatant lies in their affidavit. The court was made to believe that the graveyard was as per law and the Hindus who moved court was driven by malice. The fact however was that the graveyard was shifted to near Ambarnath Siva temple at behest of builder mafia.
The below map will clearly show that the proposed graveyard is only 223 metres from the Siva temple. Also the graveyard will subsume the land which now has Ganpati Visarjan tank and also the land where around 250 Hindu families reside.
Buoyed by success in denying justice to Hindus via courts, the Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation immediately issued notices to 250 families living nearby the proposed graveyard to vacate their residences. There was no alternate accommodation or land given to the families by Maharashtra government. Also was ignored the fact that inclement monsoons will bring unforeseen miseries to women, children and every person who are dispossessed of their land. Surely the Bharatiya Janata Party has new priorities and it calls for accommodating the dead of Muslim community by making around 250 Hindu families homeless.
The Ambarnath Siva temple has around lakhs of devotees visiting Mahadev during festivities like during Sivaratri and the area demarcated as Muslim graveyard is used by devotees. There is a very likelihood that communal tensions will arise in the future as the land in vicinity of ancient temple is used by Muslims for burying dead and their own religious purposes.
The traitors are said to worser than enemies and when they stab from behind, the wounds are mortal. While backstabbed by Brutus, Caesar had said ” Et tu Brutus, then fall Caesar”
However the Hindu community are in no mood to fall or surrender. A new resistance has arisen, the revival has started. As the self proclaimed Hindu saviours and wannabe Hindu Popes of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has not opened their mouths and has kept themselves aloof from the burning issue, new Hindu youth are entering the fray to defend Sanatana Dharma and preserve the sanctity of our temples and the secure the lives of the Hindu families.
The question remains as to how long Hindu Samaj will allow themselves to be backstabbed by the Bharatiya Janata Party and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. The wounds inflicted by Sangh on the Hindus of Kashmir where they sided with PDP separatists is still fresh in the minds of every Hindu.
Will Hindus allow their temples to be defiled and families to be rendered homeless? Or will Hindus demand answers from the traitors of the Bharatiya Janata Party who has sided with Muslims or from the leaders of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh who has refused to protect the sanctity of our temples? Will Hindus be able to fight the combined might of traitors within and the enemies outside?
Chandravati was ruled by the Parmar Dynasty (Rajput Clan)of Abu. The remains at Chandravati on mount Abu seem to point to the eleventh and twelfth centuries as the time of greatest wealth and splendour . The old ruins temples, torans and hindu god goddess deity scattered over the large area, bear testimony to its past glory. In 1412 A.D great wealth fell into the Muslim invaders Hands, lost almost all independence. Another hundred years completed its ruin. 1411 – 1412 A.D Chandravati has remained forsaken and desolate. Though some are more modern, most of the Chandravati remains belong to the eleventh and twelfth centuries, the best period of Abu architecture (1032-1247).Sahasamala Devada shifted his capital to Sirohi around 1450 AD, and from then on Chandravati lost its glory.
The second season of excavation that commenced from January 12, 2015 spearheaded by Prof J S Kharakwal of JRN Rajasthan Vidyapeeth, Udaipur would continue until the February. The project is a joint venture of the Archaeological department and Rajasthan Vidyapeeth University, Udaipur.
Unit of the research team has spotted craft area of the township along the Sevarni, the southern fringe of the settlement. It is likely that out of three dozen temples a few may belong to craft folks. The exploration unit has also discovered a few watch towers located to the east and south east of the settlement. Line drawing of the temples, craft area, and other complexes is also underway. Members of excavation team are Vineet Godhal, K P Singh, Narayan Paliwal, Rohit Menaria, Rajnikant, Joginder Singh, Baishakhi and Prakash.
As many as three fortified enclosures have been discovered so far. “The largest fortified area, spread in about four hectares, is located in the valley of Banas whereas remaining two forts, about three dozen temples, around a dozen bawaris, besides a very large settlement are located in the valley of Sevarni, a tributary of the Banas. Unfortunately, a major part of the ancient city was destroyed while the Abu Road -Palanpur highway was made,” informed Prof Kharakwal. It has in fact divided the ancient township into two parts.
In 1824 Sir Charles Colville and his team the first European visitors to Chandravati, found twenty marble edifices of different sizes. One Hindu temple was adorned with rich, very well executed sculptured deity and ornaments in high relief, many of the figures almost quite detached. The chief images were of Lord Brahma, two Shiva, Godesses Mahishasurmardini , Yama. Except the roof of the domes, whoso outer marble cover was gone, the temple was white marble throughout, the lustre of tho prominent part undimmed. Near the temple, two richly carved columns, supporting an entablature and sculptured pediment, are probably triumphal pillars. When visited by British explorer Burgess in 1874, of the twenty buildings not more than three or four were left. One temple to Brahma was adorned with rich and finely executed sculptured and ornaments in high relief. Another scholar, Ferguson, found the pillars so highly ornamented in details and varieties that no two pillars are exactly alike. Pillars sketch in 1866. During excavation ASI found two fortifications, a large settlement, about thirty six temples, around twelve bawaris are located in the valley of Sevarni river which is tributary of Banas. The other two fortifications, a large settlement, about thirty six temples, around twelve bawaris are located in the valley of Sevarni river which is tributary of Banas. There were a large number of temples in Chandravati. They were mainly Lord Shiva temples. At present not a single temple is in order. Even its ruins, sold and carried off as building materials, have all but disappeared.
The town Barakar is know for its Siddheshvara Temple, an early (9C) Hindu religious structure of the Orissan style with a prominent shikhara. It later served as inspiration for other temples, devoted to Ganesh, Durga and Panchanana, built in the 16C.
The Siddheshvara temple, seems to be the oldest and was built around 8th-9th century. It is amongst the oldest rekh-deul temples in West Bengal. The temples have Shivalingams and deity of Ganesha and Durga. Many stone deity of Lord Vishnu have been discovered in the complex. “The object of worship”, Beglar writes, “is a figure of a fish lying flat, serving as an argha to five lingam holes cut in it”. I found 5 shiva lingams, surrounded by a sort of parapet created with modern cement. The purpose of the parapet is obvious – copious amounts of water are poured on the lingams as part of worship and the water has to be directed towards an outlet in the floor. No doubt locals, who have kept the temple active, have done this for their own convenience. Outside the temple are two decayed but identifiable stone “nandi” bulls, Lord Shiva’s mount.
Siddheshvara Temple at Barakar, Burdwan district taken by J.D.Beglar in 1872-73. Beglar wrote, “Barakar…contains several very interesting ancient remains, in excellent preservation”. Temple number 5, “…consists of a cell and an antarala, or vestibule. It does not appear to have ever had a mahamandapa in front. The object of worship is a lingam, placed in a great argha, 4 feet 7 inches in diameter. Besides this there are lying, in and out, statues and fragments, among which may be reckoned, Ganeca, a 4-armed female, a 4-armed male holding a sword and a trident in two hands, and some nondescript fragments.”
J.D. Beglar, Report of a tour through the Bengal Provinces…in 1872-73 (A.S.I. vol. VIII, Calcutta, 1878), p. 151-3 The temple was built in the ninth century however the adjacent mandapa is a modern addition.
Standing adjacent to Siddheshvara temple is significantly different from the other 3 extant temples in architectural style. The shikhara or tower, in this case, is much lower. At the top of the four corners of the shikhara are four animal figurines, facing outward. While it is difficult to say exactly what these are because they have significantly decayed, I have a feeling that these are lions. Four lions facing the four corners is something we see on top of the Kailasa temple in Ellora as well, although what purpose they serve, I do not know. The shikhara itself is much more profusely decorated, and although the stone has decayed, it is is still possible to make out that rich carvings are in a whole different class altogether. The carvings appear to depict Puranas scenes though several kirtimukhas are also present. The shikhara is topped by a very large amalaka or disc, which is topped by what appears to be a very plain stone cylinder. Beglar writes that the temple may have had a metal trishula, Lord Shiva’s trident, on top at one point. Above the entrance to the sanctum, there is a sculpture of Lord Shiva, seated in the lotus position with a snake on his right. He is flanked by two other figures, one female, and one male. Decayed sculptures of Shiva with his consort appear between each of the animal figures on the shikhara.
Siddheshvara is also the only temple to have a mandapa, although this seems to have been added later on. This is immediately apparent from the fact that the mandapa contains windows with keystone arches, which are clearly colonial. But Beglar had found one further clue, and that is that the mandapa, in this case, seemed to be covering the mouldings on the front of the temple. Even in 1872, the mandapa was devoid of a roof, and today, a makeshift bamboo structure is used, covered by waterproof material when needed.
Inside the sanctum, there is a simple lingam which is now surrounded by modern cement, probably to direct the flow of water which is poured on the lingam, to the gutter in the floor. Beglar had found several other figurines lying outside the temple, including a Ganesha, a four-armed female and a four-armed male holding a sword and trident. These have been ruined so much that it is impossible to identify them.
After the Muslim conquest of Bengal ancient stone temple of Lord Shiva Siddhesvara original Lord Shiva Lingam has been stolen or destroyed , half portioned of the temple was being destroy. Temple Siddheshvara of Barakar, Burdwan district is surviving for existence due to lack of Government and local people care and ignorance.
Strange times we live in. We see Tipu Sultan immortalized and festivals arranged by the elected governments in his name. Many historians however claim that Mysore ruler Tipu Sultan was a communal fanatic who conducted a jihad in Karnataka and Kerala by destroying several temples, forceful conversion of Hindus and butchered those who refused to convert to Islam.
The letters from Tipu to his Generals illustrate religious fanaticism of the Sultan. Renowned historian and statesman Sardar K M Panicker had translated these letters and were published in Bhashaposhini 1099 Chingam vol. I
Letter – 6 : Sent to Ziyad Abdullah on 1790 January 18th:
“With the help of Muhammad and blessings of God, we have inducted nearly all non-believers into Islam. Few people are left unconverted at the border of the Kochi Kingdom. I have decided to convert them also as Mohammedans soon. I consider this as a religious War.”
There is an argument that Tipu Sultan was a secular who funded the renovation of some temples. Showing the temple in the fort, they ask, had Tipu been an iconoclast wouldn’t he be demolishing the temple in his headquarters first? Tipu kept Brahmins as advisers. They ask why he did not convert these Brahmins if he was an Anti-Hindu?
What is the truth in this? Tipu blindly believed in astrology. The palace Astrologists were Brahmins. Since the temple in Srirangapatnam Fort belonged to them, Tipu did not demolish at the temple. Astrologers attributed the continuous defeats met by Tipu to the demolition of temples and suggested the renovation of temples as the only remedial measure. His donations to the temples were a result of this advice.
There is also a reason for him not changing the religion of the palace astrologists. The astrologists of Srirangapatnam fort were traditional brahmins. Tipu’s father Hyderali was a faujdar in Dindigul when he treacherously captured the throne of Mysore. In June 1759 Hyder could install his aide Kunde Rao by replacing Nanje Rao, the only remaining minister of the puppet King of Mysore. In 1761 June, Hyder captured power by ousting Kunde Rao. So technically he was not the King. Since the customs and ways of the palace have been formally recognised to keep the power intact, the palace Astrologers were spared from being subjected to religious conversion.
Mohemmadan army under Hyder first entered Malabar to collect the 12 lakhs rupees they had to obtain as per the war treaty signed with the Samoothiri of Calicut. In those days, Kannur was known as the land of Moplahs. The Moplah soldiers of Ali Raja, of Kannur, had already joined the Mysore Army. Like Tipu, Hyder’s raids also were also driven by the religious hatred to annihilate Hindus. Hyder Ali and the Moplah’s killed numerous Hindus. He organised his jihad in Malabar by plundering and torching the temples. His son Tipu continued this Jihad of his father and the atrocities and destruction rivaled that of Hyder Ali.
Tipu was in Ponnani, while Hyder Ali died on December 7th, 1782. Being a hardcore Islamist, he decided to convert Kerala into an Islamic country and annex it to Mysore. Brutally, he started over his jihad from where Hyder Ali stopped.
The story of Tipu Sultan is one of genocide, destruction of Hindu temples and pure evil . Recounting just one incident is enough to reflect his cruelty and barbarism. Around 2000 Hindus had sought refuge in the Kuttipuram fort of the Kadathanattu Raja inorder to save themselves from the Muslim invaders. Tipu Sultan threatened them to be killed unless they converted to Islam. Many converted out of fear and they were forcefully fed cow meat.
More than 3000 Hindu temples were destroyed during the invasion of Tipu Sultan and subsequent Moplah riots. Hundreds of such ruins exists even today, where the Vigrahas can be seen with their hands, legs and head cutoff. These temples are mute witnesses to the genocide and terror that Hindu society had to suffer from religious extremists and marauders. In 2018 was started the efforts to document such ruins and revive such temples. Any support towards the efforts can be made via https://reclaimtemples.com//fundraisers/
Courtesy: Destroyed temples of Kerala Volume 1, Introduction. Author: Tirur Dinesh
One must understand how important it is to know of the atrocities committed on Hindu civilization during the past by invading hordes of barbarians from Arabia. Without this knowledge we might remain ignorant and end up celebrating those who were responsible for the cruelty on our ancestors. The paradox stares at us, as many of our leaders end up sending Chadhars to the graves of Sufi extremists who presided over the mass murder of Hindu population. We fail to notice and learn the history behind the defaced Gods and Goddesses in our ancestral temples and in those temples converted into mosques.
One such prime example is the Ghazi Zafar Khan Mosque near Calcutta in the town of Tribeni. It was a meeting point of three rivers Ganga, Jamuna and Saraswati. For the uninitiated ones the title Ghazi is given to an Islamic warrior who has slaughtered and destroyed the kaffirs. In this case it was an area and people around Tribeni who were slaughtered and the Vishnu temple located there which was converted to a Masjid.
Said to be built in 1298 AD in Tribeni Bengal, Ghazi Zafar Khan Mosque is regarded as the oldest mosque in the eastern India. Circumstances in which the mosque was constructed are aptly demonstrated in its dedicatory inscription, which was translated by H.Balochman a British officer who translated the inscription on Zafar Khan’s tomb, it clearly states “Khan the lion of lions has appeared by conquering the towns of India in every expedition and by restoring the decayed religious institutions. And he has destroyed the obdurate among the infidels with his sword and spear and lavished the treasures of his wealth in helping miserable”.
On a close inspection of the mosque one can clearly see the distinct Hindu architecture in the form of various Deities and lord Vishnu’s Dashavatar (ten forms) on the stone slab inside the mosque. The doorways of Zafar Khan’s tomb strongly resemble Hindu Vaishnava architecture. Many of the figures on the walls have their faces disfigured in order to hide the truth that the mosque is actually a Hindu temple.
A British officer D.Money of the Bengal civil services who had met with the Khadims(servents) of Ghazi Zafar Khan’s muesoleum in the year 1847 scanned some of the documents given to him by the Khadims, the documents clearly stated that Zafar Mohamed Khan along with his nephew shah Sufi came from western India to slay the infidels (Hindus) of Bengal and turn them to Islam. It mentions that Zafar Khan fought and converted local ruler Man Nirapati to Islam. It was the second battle with the ruler Budheb that the all conquering Ghazi met his fate by having his head chopped off and his torso buried in Tribeni.
There are many versions and folklore regarding this man Ghazi Khan and his mosque, in some folklore he is presented as a slayer of Hindus. In versions penned by Islamic historians he is however portrayed as a benevolent man who distributed his wealth to the poor.
While the folklore and different versions may contradict themselves but the fact on the ground remains that the once famous temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu is now used as a mosque.
The truth is that the ancient Hindu temples which were a rallying point for the local population and centers of great architecture and learning were destroyed and taken over by Muslim invaders to finish off the oldest and the greatest civilization in the world. So we have to ponder over what keeps this civilization still alive in the face of destruction done centuries ago and the present disdain being heaped upon us by democratic governments.
The answer to this lies in the spirit of our illustrious ancestors who fought to defend our temples and our glorious heritage. Never has been invaders successful in conquering our nation and our temples, great wars were fought to reclaim our temples and restart worship of our Gods.
The same spirit now runs in the countless Dharmik warriors who dream of reclaiming our temples. All Hindu temples will no doubt be liberated from the encroachers and the due worship of Hindu Gods will be reinstated.
The glory of Hindu civilisation is well evident in the magnificent temples and extra ordinary architectural skills imbibed in them. Many of these temples were centers of divine energy which helps the devotees during their various stages of life and even as cure for their maladies. The Hindu Gods and Goddesses consecrated at these temple sites were believed to have protected the people and the people in turn protected them.
However during the dark days of Islamic invasion of Bharat, lakhs of Hindu temples were destroyed across Bharat and they now lies in ruins as mute witness to the barbaricity of the invading hordes. Worse is the fact that many of these temple sites are abandoned by Hindus and even the customary rituals and Poojas are not done.
We have started #LightALamp initiative where we will be reviving worship in as many Hindu temples as possible, either in ruins or abandoned or neglected by the local population.
The revival will start with devotees lighting a lamp, as simple as an earthen lamp at the temple site. This can be done by anybody and accompanied by mantras if a person is well versed in it. The offering of fire to the Deity will rekindle the Divinity of the place and the revival of whole temple will happen in due time.
We have found that many often the people who are willing to restart Poojas and worship doesn’t have money or resources. To lend a helping hand and attempting to restart worship, we will be providing Rs. 2000 per month for 6 months for meeting expenses of temples where Poojas are not done, to ameliorate the difficulty faced and for starting worship in new temple sites. We believe that initial assistance will help individuals to restart worship at these abandoned ruins in his locality . And in another six months the devotees themselves can share the expenses and continue the Poojas.
We request you to support such initiative in your ancestral village or locality and contribute towards the same directly to the person reviving the worship. Together we can build #ReclaimTemples movement and ensure that no Hindu temple in Bharat lies abandoned, no Deity in Bharat is devoid of their due worship.
If you would like to connect us to such ancient temples which needs attention, please download our Android app via reclaimtemples.com/android and submit the details of the temple.
To become a volunteer in your district, please register with us via imojo.in/dharma
The land of Bharat was home to the most prosperous civilisation the world has ever seen. The remnants of this glorious civilisation now exists as ruins across Bharat. The magnitude of destruction that Hindu civilisation had suffered from Islamic invaders can be guaged from these ruins.
In our estimate, more than 2 lakh Hindu temples now exist in various stages of ruins and neglect and abandoned across the length and breadth of Bharat. The magnitude of the efforts required is huge and to make any change on the ground requires simultaneous work towards the revival of the Heritage monuments. The urgency is due to fact that slowly the Heritage monuments are getting destroyed, lost to Heritage thieves, vandalism, and encroachment by vested interests and even by Islamic and Christian fundamentalist organisations.
Keeping in view the efforts required, we have started off by mapping the Heritage monuments. The first phase was to map the structures under supervision of Archaeological Survey of India. We asked via RTI, the coordinates of monuments. But the response from the ASI revealed how lethargic and clumsy bureaucrats can virtually kill any reform envisaged under the RTI. ASI didn’t give us the coordinates.
We however decided to go ahead with mapping and secured the coordinates from publicly available sources and google maps. This was a task that required much manpower, and our volunteers command all the appreciation and respect in this regard.
We have released the initial map of Heritage monuments under ASI supervision as a google map and can be visited, downloaded via www.reclaimtemples.com/ASImap
The coordinates of some monuments secured from public sources are only accurate at the Tehsil level and needs further refining. This we are accomplishing gradually with help from volunteers.
Our next task involves mapping the Heritage monuments which are not under supervision of Archaeological Survey of India. For this, we are depending on crowd sourced efforts to locate the Heritage structures in their locality.
For easily submit the details and also to bring visibility to these Heritage monuments, we have developed an Android App ‘#ReclaimTemples Explore’ and released in Google Play Store. The app can be downloaded via https://reclaimtemples.com//android
We now depend on general public and Heritage enthusiasts to submit details of Heritage monuments in their locality. We will also be doing it via our volunteers.
The details submitted will be in public domain and slowly these unknown Heritage sites will get due publicity and attract visitors. We hope that the process will lead to rejuvenation of these Heritage sites and revival of worship will also happen at the ancestral Hindu temples now lying in ruins.
How you can contribute to Heritage of Bharat
Download our Android App ‘#ReclaimTemples Explore’ from Google Play store. Click here
Submit the details of atleast 10 Heritage sites in your locality via our App
Share the App with atleast 10 friends and ask them to do same.
Become a volunteer for the project by registering via imojo.in/dharma
The 1980s was a time of resurgence of Hindu religion and culture. The Ramjanmabhumi agitation had fired up the minds of many, and hundreds of thousands of Hindus braved the bullets to build a temple for Lord Sriram.
It was also the time of resurgence of intellectualism amongst Hindus. There were a group of individuals, who found the need to research on topics neglected for long and spread the truth of the history of Bharat. They did what nobody had done before to provide the intellectual base and momentum for a movement they thought will rebuild Hindu Rashtra.
Amongst the intellectuals of that time, SitaRam Goel, Ram Swarup and Koenraad Elst stand out among the rest. What made them stalwarts were their commitment to original research and truth. They did extra ordinary work to find the truth of the matter by going through historical documents, Mughal court records and other historically significant works. Of them Sitaram Goel visited medieval era Masjids across Bharat and collected evidences of them being Hindu temples.
The towering work and commitment of the sort would have earned them laurels and recognition. But what they gained was neglect and also banishment by various organisations. As a result the intellectualism in the Hindu society that promotes original Dharmik thoughts subsided, and propagandists took their place.
This is an attempt to revive the concept of Intellectual Kshatriya amongst Hindus. We are looking to nurture the best minds, who can think originally, analytically and has the courage to speak and write what they found by hard research and facts. The Intellectual Kshatriyas would have the answers to Leftist and British historians and archaeologists who corrupted history of Bharat to suit their interests.
Over the course of time we will partnering with various organisations, individuals to promote the intellectualism and nurture them. We intend to give scholarship and honorariums to best minds and offer them a ecosystem to present and evolve their thoughts and research.
Prayaan Scholarship on Indic Studies and Heritage
Prayaan Foundation is offering one time award of Rs. 10,000 to those who present original research papers on Indic Heritage. The topics available are
Indo Saracenic architecture, the evolution of domes and arches
Identifying the truth about Hindu Muslim architecture
We welcome research articles on topic of Islamic destruction of Hindu temples to be published on our website www.reclaimtemples.com . The best articles will be given a honorarium of Rs. 3,000
We value the time and efforts that need to be spend for the research work, and have instituted the scholarship and honorarium so that it will help in procuring the needed resources and will benefit the researchers.
And we hope that Intellectual Kshathriyas will rise who will have the courage and conviction and capability to record the true history of Bharat, devoid of any propaganda to suit anyone.
#ReclaimTemples
“Dharm Ka Saath, Adharm Ka Vinaash”
As they say truth needs a big cover for the lie to prosper. In the case of Hindu temples, the wanton destruction, conversion to mosques and cover of time as it passed was used to propagate the superiority of Islam over the infidels. What was unmatched in beauty of architecture and construction was destroyed, mutilated and converted into what the invaders wanted the history to remember.
But truth cannot be long hidden, history shows of the strange manners in which truth resurfaced. Minor repair works, accidental discoveries and excavations have resulted in a large no of temples being discovered beneath new structures which were constructed to destroy a glorious civilization. It might have succeeded in other places but in a country which never gave up fighting and where entire Vedas are memorised verbally, nothing could destroy it.
One such wonder of our time is Rudra Mahalaya of Sidhpur, Gujarat now known as Jami Masjid after its destruction and take over by the invading Muslim hordes. Rudra Mahalaya is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Siva. It was constructed by Chalukyas, started in 943 AD by Mularaja and completed in 1140 AD by Jayasimha Siddharaja. It’s grandeur can be gouged from the fact that even Sultan Ahmad Shahs historians in the book Mirat e Sikandari wrote of the idols inside the Rudra Mahalaya which they said could put the idols of China and Khotan to shame. It clearly states that by the efforts of Sultan and his General Ulugh Khan, Rudra Mahalaya was rid of the idols.
Famous Historian Sita Ram Goel in his book “Hindu Temples what happened to them” has given an incident when Maharaja Jaswant Singh was appointed Governor of Gujarat in 1658, his historian Munhata Nai Nasi made a visit and in his words Sidhpur had lost the spiritual glory and importance during the centuries which followed after its destruction. According to him Sidhpur was founded by Siddharao, who named the place after himself and invited one thousand Brahmans well versed in Vedas to settle there and granted 700 villages around Siddhpur to them. The temple was destroyed by the Sultan Alauddin and many Brahmans were massacred, still some portion of it survived only to be attacked by the next invading horde.
BL Nagarach an expert archaeologist further states that during excavation he found “a standing idol of an Apsara”, “four armed Varuna” and a “two armed female deity holding a sword and a cut head”. Even a layman can tell that mosques do not have idols inside them, unless otherwise the mosque is a Hindu temple under siege. It is pertinent to note that the Archaeological Survey of India’s (ASI) report of the year 1979-80 published in 1983 stated finding Hindu and Jain pantheons stretching back to the 10th century. In one of his chapters Nai Nasi had included a poem by poet Lalla bhat praising the Rudra Mahalaya, Lalla Bhatt says “18000 statues studded with diamonds and 30000 flag staffs with carved stems and gold leaves and thousands of sculpted horses and elephants stand in attendance before the Rudra”
In a nation where even reclaiming the birth place of Lord Rama is still a far thought, there are thousands more temples of our ancestors looking at each of us and waiting for us to to build a collective resolve and come out of our complacency of centuries and simply reclaim what was always ours.
As the famous saying goes a closed room is only in dark as long as no one opens a window and let’s the sun in. We all collectively can open these windows and let in the “Sun” whom we worship. Let it purify centuries of neglect and shine on our great legacy. Time to revive our Heritage, our Civilisation and our Dharma.
