A 52-page book titled ‘Shri Kashi Vishwanath Dham’s Glorious History and Present Grand Form’ has been released by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the newly developed Kashi Vishwanath corridor. According to a report by News 18, the book in detail mentions how the Kashi Vishwanath Temple was razed by Islamic invaders like Aurangzeb, Mohammad Gohri, and Sultan Mohammad Shah multiple times.
Moreover, the booklet also mentions that the Gyanvapi Mosque adjacent to the Kashi Vishwanath temple has been constructed upon the ‘Garbhagriha’ (sanctum sanctorum) of the original structure.
A passage in the booklet reads as follows, “Then writer Saki Mustaid Khan in a book has recounted the demolition. Aurangzeb had ordered that the temple should not only be broken down but it should be ensured that the temple never comes up again. That is why on Aurangzeb’s orders, the garbhagriha of the temple was broken too to build the Gyanwapi Mosque here. Aurangzeb was informed of the temple’s destruction on September 2, 1669.”
The booklet has six chapters, viz. the importance of Kashi, the history of the Kashi Vishwanath Jyotirlinga, the development of Kashi under PM Modi, the new shape of Kashi Vishwanath Dham, the importance of the Kashi Vishwanath Dham, and the other temples of Kashi.
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Kashi Vishwanath Mandir, Gyanvapi Mosque and Aurangzeb:
As reported by TFI, the Kashi Vishwanath Mandir which stands today was constructed on an adjacent site by the Maratha warrior queen Ahilyabai Holkar in 1780. According to Hindu beliefs, the original jyotirlinga’s place stands on the exact location of the present Gyanvapi Mosque. The Hindi devotees, therefore, want an excavation that will affirm their belief and claim to the disputed site.
The opposing Muslim side had however opposed the plea for an archaeological survey. They argued that a stay on excavation should continue to be in force, and not vacated. But this plea made by the Sunni Waqf Board and Anjuman Intezamia Masajid was rejected by the trial court.
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Proving that the Gyanvapi mosque was built on the ruins of the Vishwanath Temple should not be a tedious task for the ASI, as the structure and its pillars are visible to the naked eye. The only hurdle in the path is the Places of Worship Act 1991 which has also been challenged in the court.
Hindus want to restore the temples and their old glory:
Ever since the Supreme Court ordered the construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya and PM Modi redeveloped the Kashi Vishwanath corridor, there has been a brewing sentiment to restore other Hindu temples.
Destroyed during the Islamic invasion, the Krishna temple in Mathura was converted into Idgah Mosque, while the Adinath temple in Malda was converted into Adina Mosque, and last but not the least, the Kali temple in Srinagar was converted into Khanqah-e-Moula.
However, the biggest demand from Hindus across the country is to restore the Kashi Vishwanath temple in its full glory by assimilating the ‘Garbhagriha’.
Yogi Adityanath, ahead of the UP assembly polls, by releasing the booklet and enumerating the barbarity of Aurangzeb, has given cues as to what lies in store if the BJP government comes to power for a second consecutive term.