Ajmer Sharif Controversy: Was It Once a Shiva Temple? Unveiling the Claims in 5 Key Points

Ajmer Sharif Controversy: The claim of having a Shiva temple in Ajmer Sharif Dargah has created a big controversy. A Hindu organization claims that there was a Shiva temple at this place earlier, on which the Dargah was built later. This matter is becoming sensitive not only religiously but also politically and socially. 

National Hindu Army president Vishnu Gupta had filed a petition in an Ajmer court, claiming that there is a temple of Lord Shiva inside Ajmer’s Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti Dargah. On this petition, the court issued a notice to the Dargah Committee, Ministry of Minority Affairs and Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) on November 27 and sought their response. This case was heard in the court of Civil Judge Manmohan Chandel. Now the next hearing will be on December 20.

In the legal petition, Vishnu Gupta has claimed that the tomb of 13th century Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti was originally a Shiva temple. What evidence is there according to the books written on Gupta and Ajmer, this should be discussed. 

What is the history of Ajmer Dargah

Ajmer Dargah holds an important place in the religious landscape of India. In the late 12th century, when the influence of Muslim invaders was increasing in India, a Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti arrived in Ajmer. He made this city his spiritual center and won the hearts of the people with his teachings. The timing of Khwaja Saheb’s arrival was very important. Muhammad Ghori had laid the foundation of Muslim rule in India by defeating Prithviraj Chauhan in the Second Battle of Tarain. Amidst this turmoil, Khwaja Saheb gave the message of peace and harmony to the people.

Khwaja Saheb’s teachings soon began to attract people. Those who came to him included kings, nobles, farmers and the poor. After Chishti’s death in 1236, Mughal emperor Humayun built a grand mausoleum on his grave. This mausoleum later came to be known as Ajmer Sharif Dargah. Gradually this shrine became a major pilgrimage site.

Ajmer Sharif Dargah is not only a religious place but also an important part of India’s cultural heritage. From Mughal emperors to common people, everyone has visited this dargah. Powerful rulers like Muhammad bin Tughlaq, Sher Shah Suri, Akbar, Jahangir, Shah Jahan, Dara Shikoh and Aurangzeb also came here and prayed. A new chapter of Sufism began in India with the arrival of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti. 

1- On What basis was the claim of it being a Shiva temple made?

Petitioner Vishnu Gupta demands that Ajmer Dargah be declared ‘Sankat Mochan Mahadev Temple’ and if the Dargah has any kind of registration, it should be cancelled. To support their claim, Vishnu Gupta and his lawyer Yogesh Siroja have cited the book of Har Bilas Sarda, a former judge and politician from Ajmer. 

On behalf of the Hindu Army, a copy of the book titled ‘Ajmer: Historical and Descriptive’ was presented in the court. This book was written by former judicial officer and educationist Har Bilas Sarda in 1911. It was published by the Scottish Mission Industries Company in 1911. The book claims that while constructing the Dargah, the remains of the Shiva temple already present at that place were used.

Hindu Sena’s second lawyer Ram Swaroop Bishnoi told the court that before the temple was occupied, religious rituals and prayers were regularly performed there. He says that the dargah was built only after the temple was demolished. 

Meanwhile, the third lawyer of Hindu Sena, Vijay Sharma, demanded a survey of the dargah premises by the ASI. He claimed that there are ‘pieces of a temple’ in the dome of the dargah and ‘there is evidence of a sanctum sanctorum in the basement.’

2- What is there in the mysterious basement of Ajmer Dargah?

In his book based on the history of Ajmer, Har Bilas Sarda has written about the basement of Ajmer Dargah and a tradition associated with it. He has written that the remains of Khwaja Saheb are buried in this basement and a ruby-like stone is placed at that place. 

Sarda in Ajmer Historical and Descriptive has written, Khawaja Sahib’s remains are in an underground cellar, which is several feet below this tomb and is covered with a few bricks. The tomb is of white marble, inlaid with pieces of coloured stones. It is said that a ruby-like stone the size of an eight-anna silver piece is set near the place of the heart. 

“Tradition says that in this basement, Mahadev’s idol is kept in a temple on which a Brahmin family used to apply sandalwood paste every day and this tradition is still carried on by the dargah in the form of gharyaali (bell ringer).” However, Sarda did not give any further information about the ‘destruction’ of this temple.

At the same time, Ajmer Dargah’s Sajjada Nashin Syed Zainul Abidin Ali Khan said that anyone can file a petition for publicity and personal interest. Syed Zainul Abidin told ANI, “Anyone can go to court, and the court will accept the petition. After this, proper evidence and proof will be presented. Then the final decision will be given. It will take a long time.”

Regarding claims being made on mosques across the country, the Ajmer Dargah chief said, “What did (RSS chief) Mohan Bhagwat say in 2022? ‘How long will you keep looking for Shivling in every mosque’? The same was done in Sambhal. The result was that five innocent people lost their lives. Two of those who died were sole breadwinners. How big a blow is this for their families? They (the authorities) have no regrets about this.”

3- Has any other historian also claimed that there is a Shiva temple?

The claim of a Shiva temple under the Ajmer Sharif Dargah is also mentioned in the book of a British historian. An interesting claim has been made in the 1989 book ‘The Shrine and Cult of Mu’in al-Din Chishti of Ajmer’ by British historian PM Curie. Curie has cited RH Irwin’s 1841 book ‘Some Account of the General and Medical Topography of Ajmer’ and said that during the time of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, there was an ancient Mahadev temple at that place.

He wrote, there was a Shivling in this temple which was covered with leaves and garbage. Khwaja Saheb used to go to this place to meditate for 40 days. Every day he used to hang his small pot filled with water on the branch of the tree which used to swing above the Shivling. Water from that pot used to fall on the Shivling continuously. This is why both Hindus and Muslims respect Khwaja Saheb.

British historian PM Curie has made another interesting claim. He cited RH Irwin’s 1841 book and said that Shivling was located under the grave of Khwaja Saheb. However, this document has not been cited in the petition filed in the court.

4- Does Indian law allow building a temple in place of a mosque? 

In 1991, amid rising communal tensions during the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, the Government of India passed the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act. The main purpose of this law was to maintain the status of religious places as it was after 15 August 1947. The second purpose was to prohibit the conversion of any place of worship. However, a special exemption was given in this law. The Ayodhya Ramjanmabhoomi dispute was not included in it. 

Due to incidents in history, there have been disputes over religious places at many places. Through this Act, the government wanted that such incidents do not increase communal tension. This law is in line with Article 14 (right to equality) and Article 25 (right to freedom of religion) of the Constitution of India.
 
Several petitions have been filed challenging the constitutional validity of the Places of Worship Act, which has led to further controversy. However, in the 2019 Ayodhya verdict, the Supreme Court upheld the intent of the Act. The Supreme Court said in its 2019 Ayodhya verdict that the Act reaffirms the state’s commitment to secularism and equality among all religions.

In recent times, controversies have increased over many religious places. Hindu groups claim that the Shahi Idgah Mosque in Mathura was built on the birthplace of Lord Krishna. There is also a controversy over the Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi. It is claimed that this mosque was built over the Kashi Vishwanath temple. Here, a bench headed by then Chief Justice DY Chandrachud allowed a survey of the mosque and later refused to stay the local court’s order allowing worship in the basement of the mosque.

5- Did the Supreme Court open the door?

The then Chief Justice of the Supreme Court DY Chandrachud is facing a lot of criticism at this time. He is being accused of opening the way for challenging the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act. 

During the hearing of the Gyanvapi mosque case in October 2023, when it was argued that the matter was barred by the 1991 Act, Chandrachud said, “The law says you cannot change the nature of a place of worship. They are not seeking to change the place.”

After this statement, many people have started believing that the provisions of this law can be challenged. The latest example of this has been seen in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, where a controversy has arisen over the historic Shahi Jama Masjid. A petition has been filed claiming that this mosque was earlier a Hindu temple, named Harihar Mandir.

This petition has been filed by Supreme Court lawyer Vishnu Shankar Jain, who is also the lawyer in the Varanasi Gyanvapi Mosque case. On the same day, the court of Civil Judge (Senior Division) Aditya Singh accepted this petition and ordered a survey of the Jama Shahi Mosque.

Also read:

Sambhal Mosque Dispute: Legal Battle Unfolds! Why Is the Survey Order Raising Eyebrows?