By Omar Rashid
New Delhi: The Atala Masjid – a 14th-century mosque located in eastern Uttar Pradesh’s Jaunpur – is among the oldest places of Islamic worship in the country that Hindutva activists are seeking to grab control of.
A suit seeking the removal of Muslims from the mosque and handing over its possession to Hindus for worship and other rituals was registered in a local court in May. Now, the Hindu plaintiffs have demanded a survey of the mosque through an advocate commissioner to ascertain if it was built after demolishing an ancient temple dedicated to “Atala Devi” goddess. The court is expected to deliver its order on the contours of the survey on December 16.
The caretakers of the mosque had recently moved the Allahabad high court pleading that the Jaunpur civil court junior division’s order (dated May 29) admitting the suit be set aside.
‘Evict Muslims’
The foundation for Atala Masjid, situated at Mohalla Rizvi, Pargana Haveli of Jaunpur city, was laid during the time of Delhi Sultanate ruler Firoz Shah Tughlaq in 1376 but the mosque was fully completed in 1408 by Ibrahim Shah Sharqi of the Jaunpur Sultanate. The caretakers of the mosque say the Atala Masjid is a Jama Masjid (where Friday congregations are held) registered with the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board as Waqf No. 85-Jaunpur.
This story was originally published in thewire.in. Read the full story here.
