Restore Temples Movement List Flags Mumbai’s Jama Masjid As Former Temple Site

Mumbai: A list of 1842 sites across the country documented by a group called 'Restore Temples Movement' as locations of former temples includes Mumbai's most important mosque, the Jama Masjid in Zaveri Bazaar, as one of three such sites in Mumbai. The management of the mosque (spelled as Jami Masjid in the list) dismissed the claim.

The group said that the list has been prepared on the basis of studies by historians and writers, including the late Sita Ram Goel, a writer and publisher who wrote on Hinduism and Hindu nationalism. However, the group clarified that they are not claiming the Mumbai mosque and only want the listed sites that need to be adjudicated so that there is a peaceful end to such disputes across the country.

Vimal V, a member of the Restore Temples Movement, which said that it is a group of volunteers who document temple sites that are in ruins, encroached by settlements, and reconstructed as places of worship for other faiths, said that they want a tribunal that can hear the disputes. “The problem has not been addressed. Once and for all, there is a need for adjudication over every disputed site. There should be a process to establish the truth and find a resolution,” said Vimal. “There are hundreds of thousands of such cases in India. Many of the sites that have been lost are part of oral history and local sentiments. In many cases, there are historical documents that have statements from invading armies, claiming that they destroyed the temples and destroyed or hid the temple idols.”

Apart from oral and documented cases, the list also includes sites that have features of ancient Indian temple architecture, said Vimal. In the case of the Jama Masjid of Mumbai, the group claims that it sits on a site with temple-style stonework. They want the Archeological Survey of India (ASI), the organisation that preserves and protects historical sites, to conduct an inquiry. Apart from Jama Masjid, there are two obscure Mumbai dargahs – tombs of holy figures – in the list.

“India has a huge heritage, but a lot of it is in ruins. Contrast this to the efforts in European countries to preserve every small historical monument, even a cave. Our entire project is to restore it and pass it on to the next generation.

The Jama Masjid was built between 1775 and 1802 by Kokni Muslim merchants who had settled in the city. The mosque encloses a water tank that is used for ablutions. Reacting to the claims, Shuaib Khatib, trustee of Jama Masjid, said, “This is just a social media post. The mosque was built on a pond. There is no record of any structure that existed here earlier.”

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