From Taj Mahal to Qutub Minar: Mughal era monuments, mosques embroiled in recent controversies
Some of the oldest monuments and mosques in India, built mostly during the Mughal period, have sparked controversies in recent times.
As the Gyanvapi Masjid case is being heard by the court in Uttar Pradesh, many such cases of a monument or mosque have come to light where claims of a Hindu temple preceding the complex have been made by religious outfits and locals.
In recent months, controversies in this regard have erupted in Karnataka’s Jamia Masjid and Mathura’s Shahi Idgah Masjid, where claims of the mosque being built on Hindu temple remains have been made. Such claims have also been made about the Taj Mahal and Qutub Minar, which are among the most notable Indian monuments.
Have a look at the recent monuments and mosques involved in religious controversies –
The controversy erupted when a group of Hindu women filed a plea in the lower court seeking permission to pray inside the Gyanvapi mosque on claims that there was a Hindu temple inside the complex, after which a video survey of the site was ordered. (Photo - IANS)
A plea was filed in the Allahabad High Court, seeking the opening of the 22 underground rooms of the Taj Mahal on claims that there are Hindu idols and artifacts present in the complex. Some also claimed that the Taj Mahal was built on the land of a Hindu temple. (File photo)
Media reports suggested that the Centre has ordered an excavation in the mosque on the Qutub Minar complex on claims that it was built on the remains of a Hindu temple. Recently, Jain and Hindu idols were also recovered from the complex, intensifying the controversy. (File photo)
After the Gyanvapi mosque case, Hindu petitioners were seeking the right to offer prayers inside the Jamia Masjid in Srirangapatna, Karnataka in view of the claims that the mosque was built on the remains of a Hanuman Temple. The petitioners were also seeking a survey of the site. (File photo)
The Shri Krishna Janambhoomi trust filed a plea against the Shahi Idgah Masjid in Mathura district court, seeking the removal of the mosque on claims that it was built on the Krishna Janambhoomi or the birthplace of Lord Krishna. (File photo)