Right-wing group claims dargah built on land where temple stood
Right-wing groups opposed the renovation of a dargah in the Mahajid village of Chikkamagaluru district, alleging it was once a Hindu temple razed down during 18th-century ruler Tipu Sultan’s reign.
The right-wing groups alleged that the Hazrat Syed Badshah Dargah was built on the ruins of the Chandramouli temple. They said a pillar inside the structure has floral motifs, resembling Hindu architecture.
Opposing the renovation of the dargah’s dome, the group demanded the district administration immediately stop the work on the dargah. The Hindu activists have also started a campaign on social media, alleging the name of the village was changed from Kattegadde to Mahajid.
The government has released a grant of ₹8 lakhs for the renovation of the dargah, under the Waqf Board, and preparations have been made for its renovation.
Thudukuru Manju, a right-wing group member alleged that the dargah is being renovated without permission and the entire structure is being constructed in such a way that it looks completely like a dargah. “The temple was razed down during Tipu Sultan’s reign and a dargah was constructed. Now, they are plastering the entire structure in such a way that there are no traces of the temple. We would not have protested if they hadn’t begun the renovation,” he said.
Meanwhile, Hazrat Syed Badshah Dargah Committee held a meeting following the opposition by Hindu groups on Monday, led by Farooq, president of the dargah committee.
“Let those who accuse that it is a temple provide proof. Miscreants are doing this intending to create controversy. The dargah is being renovated with a grant given by the government. This dargah has a history of over 200 years, and it belongs to the Waqf Board,” Farooq said, urging the concerned authorities to take action against them.
In a similar incident, the Jamia mosque in Srirangapatna town was in the middle of a controversy last year, as right-wing groups and Rishi Kumar Swami of Kali mutt claimed that the Jamia mosque was constructed at the same place where a Hanuman temple once existed. They claimed the masjid was constructed after the Hanuman temple was demolished in 1784.
In Bidar, the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) claimed that a dargah in Basavakalyan was once a Basavanna temple. The right wing claimed there was evidence that the dargah was historically a temple and demanded that the government intervene in the matter.
