Few days after the district court of Varanasi has given approval for the survey of Kashi Vishwanath Temple-Gyanvapi Mosque complex by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), a petition has been filed in Mathura court claiming that the idols of the Sri Krishna Janmasthan temple lie buried beneath Jahanara mosque, popularly known as Jama Masjid in Agra.
The PIL filed by advocate Shailendra Singh, who is representing five petitioners from Lucknow, has sought a ground radiology test by ASI at the Jahanara mosque to ascertain if Lord Krishna's idols are buried beneath it, reports Times Now.
Quoting from ‘Anecdotes of Aurangzeb And Historical Essays By Jadunath Sarkar, Published By M. C. Sarkar & Sons. 902-a Harrison Road, Calcutta 1917. at Page 11-12’ the PIL stated, "The grandest shrine of Mathura, Kesav Rai's temple, built at a cost of 33 lakhs of rupees by the Bundela Rajah Birsingh Dev, was razed to the ground in January, 1670, and a mosque built on its site. The idols were brought to Agra and buried under the steps of Jahanara's mosque that they might be constantly trodden on by the Muslims going in to pray."
Sri Krishna Janmasthan Temple also known as Katra Keshav Dev temple was destroyed multiple times throughout history and most recently by Aurangzeb in 1670 who erected a mosque in its place.
In the late 20th century, a group of industrialists sponsored the construction of the present temple beside the site of the original temple in Mathura.
Comments ↓
An Appeal...
Dear Reader,
As you are no doubt aware, Swarajya is a media product that is directly dependent on support from its readers in the form of subscriptions. We do not have the muscle and backing of a large media conglomerate nor are we playing for the large advertisement sweep-stake.
Our business model is you and your subscription. And in challenging times like these, we need your support now more than ever.
We deliver over 10 - 15 high quality articles with expert insights and views. From 7AM in the morning to 10PM late night we operate to ensure you, the reader, get to see what is just right.
Becoming a Patron or a subscriber for as little as Rs 1200/year is the best way you can support our efforts.