A lower court in Rajasthan has accepted a petition filed by the Hindu Sena, which claims that the Ajmer Dargah was originally a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. The petition, filed by Vishnu Gupta, the president of Hindu Sena, seeks permission for Hindu worship at the site and requests an archaeological survey to investigate the historical claims.
The Hindu side has presented evidence to support their claims, including a book written by Har Vilas Sharda, an Ajmer resident, in 1911. The book alleges that the Dargah was once a temple and that there were remains of the temple, such as a sanctum sanctorum in the basement and remnants of the temple in the form of a 75-foot-long doorway, visible within the Dargah complex.
Speaking about the case, Vishnu Gupta said, “The historical evidence we have, including the book and the findings of temple debris, supports our claim that this land was once a Hindu temple. We are hopeful the court will allow a survey to confirm this.”
The court has issued notices to the relevant parties and set the next hearing date for December 20.
The petitioners argue that the land was originally a Shiva temple where Hindu worship took place before it became the site of the Ajmer Dargah. They have requested that the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) conduct an inspection to clarify the historical significance of the site.
The case was initially heard by Chief Judicial Magistrate Pritam Singh, who refused to take it up, stating it was beyond his jurisdiction.
This story was originally published in theobserverpost.com.
