Ajmer, November 28, 2024: A lower court in Ajmer has accepted a petition claiming the mausoleum of Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, known as the Ajmer Sharif Dargah, is a Shiva temple.
According to reports, the petition, filed by Vishnu Gupta, national president of the Hindu Sena, was admitted for hearing by Ajmer West Civil Judge (Senior Division) Manmohan Chandel on Wednesday, and the next hearing is scheduled for December 20.
The petition states that the site, which has been a prominent religious shrine for centuries, was originally a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Mahadev.
As part of the proceedings, Justice Chandel directed that summons notices be issued to the Dargah Committee, the Ministry of Minority Affairs, and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
The move follows a broader trend of challenging Muslim religious sites, particularly after the Babri Mosque verdict. Since then, several Muslim religious sites across India have been challenged by Hindu groups claiming that temples predated the mosques at those locations, despite the Supreme Court's 1991 ruling on the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act. The Act prohibits altering the religious character of any place of worship as it stood on August 15, 1947.
Earlier, five Muslim youths were killed in police firing during a protest between locals and forces in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, sparked by opposition to a court-ordered survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid, a Mughal-era mosque that Hindus claim was a temple.
Prominent among challenged sites are:
Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi: This mosque is adjacent to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple. Legal cases claim it was built by demolishing a part of the temple during Mughal ruler Aurangzeb's reign. The issue resurfaced in December 2019 when petitions sought archaeological surveys and the right to worship Hindu deities at the site.
Shahi Idgah Mosque in Mathura: Associated with the birthplace of Lord Krishna, claims suggest the mosque was built over a Hindu temple. Legal challenges seek ownership of the site, alleging its history mirrors that of Ayodhya.
Qutub Minar Complex in Delhi: Some Hindu groups claim certain structures within the complex, including the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque, were constructed by repurposing material from demolished temples. Cases demand restoration of these sites for Hindu worship.