The Truth Behind the Sambhal Temple-Mosque Dispute, What the 1879 ASI Report Reveals

Sambhal Kalki Temple and the 1879 ASI Report

Sambhal, a district in Uttar Pradesh, has been making headlines due to a heated controversy surrounding the Shahi Jama Masjid. This dispute escalated into violence, claiming four lives. A considerable portion of the problem centers on the assertion that a mosque today occupies the grounds of an ancient Hindu temple dedicated to the god Lord Vishnu, specifically the Harihar Temple. In Hindu mythology, it is believed that Lord Kalki, the supposed 10th avatar of Vishnu, will be born at this place when the Kali Yuga ends and a new era is to begin.

What Do the Claims Say?

भगवान राम की तरह ही कल्कि का अवतार भी हजार वर्षों की रूपरेखा तय करेगा। इसीलिए, कल्किधाम एक ऐसा स्थान होने जा रहा है जो उन भगवान को समर्पित है, जिनका अभी अवतार होना बाकी है। pic.twitter.com/xclXgfCwJ3

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 19, 2024

The Hindu parties claim that the Harihar Temple was demolished to build the mosque. But what does history reflect upon this claim? According to the Indian Archaeological Survey (ASI) report of 1879, there is substantial evidence which may help one understand the matter at hand. Even historians have extensively given their opinion on this by referring to the historical documents.

The Lawyer's Claim

He -Vishnu Shankar Jain, an important lawyer on the Hindu side of the case-claims that the Mughal Emperor Babur destroyed the temple in 1526. Jain bases his claims on the factual assertion that Babur, in fact, ordered the destruction of the Harihar Temple and the construction of a mosque in its place. The Shahi Jama Masjid Committee, he claims, forcefully seized control of the site. After a petition on the issue, the court directed a survey of the mosque that is supposed to be submitted to the court by November 29.
Religious Relevance of Sambhal

In Hindu religious traditions, Sambhal is believed to be the birthplace of Lord Kalki, who is expected to bring the end of the Kali Yuga and the beginning of Satya Yuga. Many believe that the spot where Babur destroyed the Harihar Temple and built the mosque is the very site where Lord Kalki will appear in the future.

Historical Insights

Historians such as Meenakshi Jain and Shri Ram Sharma have also highlighted that Babur between 1526-1530 ordered the destruction of many ancient temples, including Ayodhya and Sambhal. Jain has even mentioned in interviews that after Ayodhya, the second mosque Babur constructed in India was built over the ruins of a Hindu temple in Sambhal. According to Jain, inscriptions on the walls of the mosque verify that it was actually an original temple.

Baburnama and ASI Report

श्री कल्कि धाम मंदिर के शिलान्यास में उपस्थिति का गौरव प्राप्त हुआ। मैं आध्यात्मिक उत्थान और सामुदायिक सेवा की दिशा में आचार्य प्रमोद कृष्णम जी के प्रयासों की सराहना करता हूं। @AcharyaPramodk pic.twitter.com/HT1iIAuCii

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 19, 2024

Vishnu Shankar Jain also refers to the Baburnama by Babur, who wrote, In 933 Hijri (1526 CE), he ordered the conversion of a Hindu temple in Sambhal into a mosque. This inscription remains on the mosque to this day supporting the argument that originally it was a Hindu temple. However, as the skeptics would have it, the inscription is forged.

The debate is further bolstered by the 1879 ASI report. In this, it mentions that on a slab in the mosque itself lies an inscription, which is cited to be of Babur. Local Hindus raise queries over another inscription lying behind this slab, confirming the existence of the original temple there. Whether they are true or not can only be confirmed when the survey report comes out on November 29th.

Recent Developments

In February 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the Kalki Dham Temple, said to be about 20 kilometers from the Shahi Jama Masjid. This temple, envisaged to be dedicated to Lord Kalki, is being constructed by the Kalki Dham Construction Trust led by Acharya Pramod Krishnam. Developments on this temple add a new chapter to the already complex religious and historical narrative surrounding Sambhal.

As the whole conflict over Shahi Jama Masjid continues, the report of ASI in 1879 and the soon to be held survey findings will most importantly throw light behind the claims and continue debate over the site's historical and religious importance.