Plea In Delhi Court Seeks To Restore Temples Razed To Build Mosque Within Qutub Minar Complex

(Judicial Quest News Network)

A Suit has been filed before a civil court in Delhi claiming that the Qutub Minar Complex in South Delhi which houses the famous minaret, Qutub Minar was originally a complex of twenty-seven “lofty “Hindu and Jain temples before they were razed to ground in 12 th Century by Qutub-Ud-Din Aibak who erected the present structure.

The Mosque named as “Quat-ul-Islam Masjid” , situated withtin the Mehrauli was built in place of a temple complex.

The plea, is filed on behalf of Jain Diety Tirthankar Lord Rishab Dev and Hindu deity Lord Vishnu (through their next friends) Hari Shanker Jain and Ranjana Agnihotri, seeks restoration of the alleged temple complex, comprising of as many as 27 temples.

It is submitted “that this suit is being filed to preserve and protect the religious and cultural heritage of India, and to exercise the right to religion guaranteed by Article 25 and 26 of Constitution of India by restoring 27 Hindu and Jain temples with respective deities which were dismantled, desecrated and damaged under the command and orders of Qutub-Din-Aibak, a commander of invader Mohammad Gauri, who established slave dynasty and to show the ‘Might of Islam’ raised some construction at the same very place of temples naming it as, ‘Quwwat-Ul-Islam Mosque’”

The petitioners were represented by Advocate Vishnu Shanker Jain before the civil judge Neha Sharma on Tuesday.

The plaintiffs through this suit are seeking the relief for restoration of deities within the temple complex and for issuance of direction to Central Government to frame scheme of administration and create a trust to manage the puja, Worship, maintenance of the property and carry out necessary work in accordance with the provisions contained in section 14,16,17,18 and 19 of The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958, hereinafter referred to as ‘AMASR Act.

The plea further submits that That Qutubdin Aibak failed to completely demolish the existing temples and only partial demolition was carried out and after reusing the material of the temples a construction was erected which was named as ‘Quwwatul Islam Masjid’, referred to as ‘Alleged Mosque’. On the walls, pillars and roof of the existing building the images of Gods and Goddess including other religious/ pious Hindu symbols and deities like Shri Ganesh, Vishnu, Yaksha, Yakshini, Dwarpal, Lord Parshvanath, Lord Mahavir, Natraj and symbols like Mangal Kalash, Shankh (Conch), Gada, Lotus motifs, Shri Yantra, Temple Bells and Sacred Lotus etc. are engraved. The Structural inner and outer outlook of the building complex symbolizes with ancient Hindu and Jain temple Architecture. The corridor is completely of vedic style having rectangular galleries with holy symbol engraved pillars. The invader had dismantled and defaced the idols only to degrade Hindu deities and demoralizes the worshipers.

It is pointed out that the petitioner’s version is also supported by a short history displayed by Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

The petitioners have also produced Photostat copies of a book titled as “Inventory of Monuments and Sites of National Importance (Vol.1, Part 3) DELHI CIRCLE written by Jagat Pati Joshi, Krishna Deva and others published by Director General Archaeological Survey of India New Delhi 2004.

 The petitioners urged the court to Decree the suit in nature of declaration, declaring that Deity Tirthankar lord Rishab Dev and Deity Lord Vishnu, along with Lord Ganesh, lord Shiva, Goddess Gauri, God Sun, Lord hanuman including presiding deities of 27 temples, have to be restored and worshiped with rites & ituals, performance of regular Pooja within the temple complex situated in the area of Qutub Complex in Mehruli.

It is further submitted that That the right of Muslims, if any, in the structure known as Quwwatul Islam Masjid has extinguished as for the lost more than Eight Hundred years the said structure has not been used as Mosque. It may be further pointed out that Muslims had to abandon the alleged Quwwatul Islam Masjid for the reason that the entire structure, the pillars, the beams and architecture where depicting Hindu God and Goddess and Muslims have reservations to use such type of places as Mosque and the other reason is that the purpose of constructing the structure was to show Might of Islam, to establish superiority and to humiliate Hindu and Jain devotees and not to use such place as Mosque.

A prayer is made to issue mandatory injunction directing the Central

Government to create a Trust, according to Trust Act 1882, and to hand over the Management and Administration of the temple complex situated within the area of Qutub Complex in Mehruli, District South

West Delhi included in the notification no. DL, 387- Edu, dated  6.01.1914 issued by Central Government published in the book  Inventory of Monuments and Sites of National Importance’ (Volume-1 Part-3 ) Delhi Circle as item no. 99 (6) under title The Qutub  Archaeological Area Quwwat-Ul-Islam Masjid (Mehrauli), after framing scheme of administration to such Trust.

c. Decree be passed in the nature of mandatory injunction, directing the Trust, to be created by Central Government, to manage the affairs of 27 Hindu and Jain temples with Iron Pillar, in accordance with scheme of administration framed by Central Government, situated within the area of Qutub Complex in Mehruli, District South West Delhi included in the notification no. DL, 387-Edu, dated 16.01.1914 issued by Central Government published in the book ‘Inventory of Monuments and Sites of National Importance’ (Volume-1 Part-3) Delhi Circle as item no. 99 (6) under title The Qutub Archaeological Area Quwwat-Ul-Islam Masjid

(Mehrauli), to that extent the aforesaid notification shall stand modified.

d. Decree be passed in the nature of permanent injunction, restraining the defendants permanently from interfering in making necessary repair works, raising construction and making arrangement for Pooja, Darshan and Worship of Deities in accordance  with section 16 and 19 of ‘The Ancient monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958’ by a Trust, to be created by Central Government within the area of Qutub Complex in Mehruli, District South West Delhi included in the   otification no. DL, 387- Edu, dated 16.01.1914 issued by Central Government published in the book ‘Inventory of Monuments and

Sites of National Importance’ (Volume-1 Part-3) Delhi Circle as item no. 99 (6) under title The Qutub Archaeological Area Quwwat-Ul-Islam Masjid (Mehrauli), created by the Central Government under

the Indian Trust Act 1882.

[Read Petition]