Earlier in the day, news broke that a Shivling had been discovered inside the disputed Gyanvapi structure during a videography survey on May 16. Ever since the news came out, devotees are celebrating the vindication of their long-held belief about the presence of the Shivling inside the structure.
The Gyanvapi Mosque complex is a disputed structure built over the ruins of the desecrated old Kashi Vishwanath Temple by the Mughal tyrant Aurangzeb.
The unrelenting attacks on Kashi Vishwanath began shortly after Islamic invaders entered India. It was first attacked in the 12th century by Qutb al-Din Aibak. The temple’s peak was damaged in the attack, still, Puja ceremonies continued there even after that. History has it that the destruction of the sacred Hindu temple was carried out under Mohammad of Ghori’s orders.
The Kashi Vishwanath Mandir was once again demolished during the rule of Sikandar Lodi (1489–1517). Evidence implies that Sikandar Lodi was responsible for the invasion of Kashi Vishwanath.
In 1669 CE, the ultimate assault on the Kashi Vishwanath Temple was carried out by the Mughal tyrant Aurangzeb. He demolished the temple and replaced it with the Gyanvapi masjid. The remains of the erstwhile mandir can still be seen in the foundation, the columns, and the rear part of the mosque.
The Kashi Vishwanath Temple complex, which stands today, is adjacent to the disputed mosque complex and where devotees can do puja and prayers, was built by the great Ahilya Bai Holkar of Indore in 1780.
In fact, the Islamic record of Maasir-i-Alamgiri states that on April 9, 1669, Aurangzeb had issued a ‘farman’ decree, “to governors of all the provinces to demolish the schools and temples of the infidels and strongly put down their teachings and religious practices.”
Aurangzeb ordered destruction of temples at Kashi & Mathura.
— Nitin Gupta (@Nitin_Rivaldo) April 8, 2021
‘Masir i Alamgiri’ – By Mohd Saqi, Musta’idd Khan
Farman by Aurangzeb to destroy Kalkaji Temple.
Its only natural that ‘Razakars’ who waged Jihad 4 Nizam of Hyd in 48 will stand for d ‘king of Jihadis’ Aurangzeb! https://t.co/Ah8l0oJRyE pic.twitter.com/6GDirL7yBg
The same is also mentioned in the Varanasi Gazetteer which was published in the year 1965. It is clearly stated on page number 57 that on April 9, 1669, Aurangzeb issued a decree to his governors to destroy the Hindu temples and schools in Kashi (Varanasi).
Former General Secretary of the Banaras Bar Association, Nityanand Rai, who is independently researching the history of Varanasi, said that the gazetteers are considered to be the most authentic along with being official documents about the districts and states. The gazetteers not only contain the history of the districts but also contain each and every piece of information about that district.
The Kashi Vishwanath temple is just one of many similar temples destroyed by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in his absolute disdain for Hindu culture and faith. The Islamic record of Maasir-i-Alamgiri describes many other instances of Aurangzeb’s fanatical cruelty.
When Aurangzeb had issued a decree to demolish Delhi’s Kalka Temple
In September 1667, Aurangzeb issued a similar ‘Farman’ (decree) for the demolition of the Kalka Temple in Delhi, dedicated to the Mother Goddess. The reason stated in the decree was that Hindus were gathering in large numbers at the temple. This was enough reason for the Mughal tyrant to order his hundreds of soldiers to go and demolish the temple.
According to legends, when a Brahmin priest of the temple noticed the demolishers, he took his sword and killed one of them. He then turned around and attacked the Qazi who was leading the demolition squad inside the temple. The Brahmin was ultimately caught and stoned to death.
The present Kalka Temple was built over the ruins of an earlier temple dedicated to Goddess Kali shortly after Aurangzeb’s death (1707 A.D.). Two Akhbarat dated Sept 3 and Sept 12, 1667, provide details regarding the demolition of the temple on Aurangzeb’s ‘farman.’
When the Mughal tyrant had plundered the city of Mathura and destroyed the famous Keshav Rai temple
When Aurangzeb plundered the holy city of Mathura, he destroyed the famous and one of the most revered Keshav Rai temples in January of 1670. This temple marked the place where Lord Krishna had taken birth, the most important temple in the Vedic tradition, and he built a mosque in its place.
It is stated that the beautifully adorned deities were transported to Agra and placed beneath the steps leading to the mosque of Nawab Begum Sahib (Jahanara) so that they could be trampled by Muslims. Mathura’s name was changed to Islamabad after having destroyed the very foundation of deity worship.
Similarly, the Sita-Rama temple at Soron, as well as the Devi Patan temple in Gonda, were both destroyed in the same year. Under Aurangzeb’s command, the local ruler of Malwa dispatched 400 warriors to destroy all of Ujjain’s temples.
Furthermore, according to Muraqat-i-Abul Hasan, Aurangzeb ordered his soldiers and assistants from Cuttack, Orissa, and on to Medinipur in Bengal to destroy every house with a Hindu deity that was built in the last 12 years. Aurangzeb further ordered that if any temples were reconstructed, they should be demolished again completely so that Hindus could not revive worship at the sites.
According to two Akhbarat dated 28th March and 14th May 1680, even temples in the loyal and friendly Amber state, such as the famed Temple of Jagdish at Goner in Amber, were not spared due to his religious fervor.
Ram Temple in Ayodhya was destroyed on directions from Aurangzeb, not Babur
In fact, in 2016, a book titled Ayodhya Revisited, authored by former IPS officer Kishore Kunal, stated how the Ram Temple in Ayodhya was demolished and a mosque was built in its place by Fedai Khan, the governor of Ayodhya in 1660 AD, at the command of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.
Kunal claimed that Francis Buchanan, who examined Ayodhya in 1813-14, erroneously attributed the mosque to Babar by relying on a ‘spurious inscription’ that comprised a ‘fabricated section,’ that stated that it was built by Mir Baqi at the command of Babar.
