Next hearing on Shiva Temple claim at Ajmer Dargah on May 31

Jaipur, April 19 (IANS) The hearing on the claim regarding the presence of a Shiva temple within the sanctum sanctorum of Ajmer Dargah was postponed on Saturday, and the court has now scheduled the next hearing for May 31.

Earlier, a stay application had been submitted by the petitioner, Vishnu Gupta, requesting that government departments refrain from offering chadar at the Dargah. In response, the Ministry of Minority Affairs and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) submitted their replies in court.

Advocate Yogendra Ojha said that Saturday’s hearing was postponed due to the submission of new petitions and the absence of the Supreme Court counsel, who could not attend because of the inauguration of the new District Court building.

Notably, a previous hearing scheduled for April 19 was also postponed after the District Bar Association supported the Ajmer Bandh in response to the Bijaynagar incident.

The petition was originally filed by Vishnu Gupta, the National President of the Hindu Sena, claiming that the Ajmer Dargah stands on the site of a pre-existing Hindu temple. In response, the Dargah Committee filed an application seeking the dismissal of the case.

Additionally, the Anjuman Committee associated with the Dargah has submitted a petition in the High Court. Vishnu Gupta’s claim rests on three primary points. He argues that the architectural style and carvings of the Buland Darwaza resemble those of Hindu temples, suggesting the existence of a temple at the site prior to the Dargah.

Gupta asserts that remnants resembling temple structures are visible in the domes and upper architecture of the Dargah, indicating it may have been built over a demolished temple. He claims that water features commonly associated with Shiva temples are present at the site, supporting his argument.

Gupta claims that he possesses a Sanskrit manuscript titled Prithviraj Vijay, written in 1250 AD, which he intends to present in court along with its Hindi translation.

He also claims the book contains historical references to Ajmer’s past, adding that the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act does not apply to the Ajmer Dargah, stating that it is a religious place and not covered under the Act.

He cited lawyer Varun Kumar Sena’s arguments presented in the Supreme Court regarding this issue. Following a request from Gupta, security was provided to him under the instructions of SP Vandita Rana.

Vishnu Gupta is the National President of Hindu Sena, who filed a petition in the Ajmer Civil Court claiming that the site of the Ajmer Dargah originally housed the Sankat Mochan Mahadev temple.

The court accepted the petition on November 27, 2024.

Subsequently, the court issued notices to the Ministry of Minority Affairs, the Dargah Committee Ajmer, and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). Several other parties—including the Anjuman Committee, Dargah Diwan Ghulam Dastagir (Ajmer), A. Imran (Bangalore), and Raj Jain (Hoshiarpur, Punjab)—have also filed applications to be included in the proceedings.

As of January 24, two hearings have taken place.

In support of his claims, Gupta referenced the 1911 book Ajmer: Historical and Descriptive by retired judge Harbilas Sarda, which mentions that debris from a Hindu temple was used in the construction of the Dargah.

The petition also claims that a Jain temple once stood in the sanctum sanctorum of the site.

--IANS

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