On April 18, in a conversation at World Heritage Day in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, renowned archaeologist KK Mohammed said that 27 temples were demolished to build Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque near Qutub Minar in Delhi. He said, “Remnants of temples were found near Qutub Minar, including Lord Ganesha temple. It proves there was a temple.”
Notably, the Delhi Tourism website clearly mentions that the 73-metre high Qutub Minar was built using the material obtained from 27 Hindu and Jain temples. The first Muslim ruler of Delhi, Qutub-ud-din Aibak, defeated the last Hindu ruler of Delhi Prithiviraj Chauhan.
The website says, “An inscription over its eastern gate provocatively informs that it was built with material obtained from demolishing ’27 Hindu temples.”
However, KK Mohammed said it was a pure Islamic structure. he said similar Minars were made during the time of Ghazni, Ghauri and other Mughal rulers. Speaking to ABP News he said the many mistakes had happened during the medieval period. Both communities have a responsibility for the current standing structures. He said, “The biggest mistake communist Historians make is that they try to hide the truth. It is a fact that temples were demolished and there is no benefit of hiding the truth.” He also blamed communist historians for provoking Muslims that had delayed the construction of Bhavya Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.
The website further reads, “The main mosque comprises of an inner and outer courtyard, decorated with shafts and surrounded by Piller. Most of these shafts are from the 27 Hindu temples, which were plundered to construct the mosque. It is, therefore, not surprising that the Muslim mosque has typical Hindu ornamentation.”
The construction of Qutub Minar was started by Aibak in 1200 AD. However, he could only finish the basement. His successor Iltutmush added more storeys to the construction. Later, in 1368, Firoz Shah Tughlak constructed the last storey of the building.
KK Mohammed said, “Not one, but there were many idols of Lord Ganesha found at the site. It was the capital of the Chuahans, including Prithviraj Chauhan. There were around 27 Hindu temples, and Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque was built on the ruins of these temples using the same elements. You can clearly find the evidence through Arabic inscriptions which say that 27 temples were destroyed to build a mosque at the site.”
Delhi Court directed ASI not to remove Lord Ganesha idols
Recently, reports had suggested that the NMA wanted to move the Ganesha idols from the premises. However, a Delhi court stayed the order and directed ASI not to remove the idols. Additional District Judge Nikhil Chopra, in an order, directed ASI not to take any action till the matter was heard before the court. The hearing in the matter will take place on May 17.
The directions from the court were on a suit filed by advocate Hari Shankar Jain on behalf of Jain deity Tirthankar Lord Rishabh Dev. The plea claimed that 27 temples were demolished by Qutubdin Aibak, and Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque was constructed using the material from the ruins. Advocate Jain said there were two idols of Lord Ganesha on the premises, and ASI was likely to remove and place them in National Museum as just artefacts.
It is noteworthy that Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has also demanded that the government should rebuild the ancient temples in the complex and allow Hindus to offer prayers. In a statement, national spokesperson Vinod Bansal said, “We visited major parts of the site, and it was heart-rending to see the condition of the idols of Hindu deities…Qutub Minar was built with materials obtained after demolishing 27 Hindu temples. The superimposed structure was built just to tease the country.”
KK Mohammed was part of the Ayodhya excavation
Notably, KK Mohammed was a part of the team from the Delhi School of Archaeology that had joined the excavation team in Ayodhya headed by Professor VB Pal. On several occasions, Mohammad openly spoke about the temple ruins that were found during an excavation in Ayodhya. He had pointed toward the possibility that the disputed structure was built using pillars, slabs and other components from the demolished temple at the site.
