Court Issues Notice Over Hindutva Group's Claim On Ajmeer Sharif Dargah
Ajmer, Rajasthan: One of the holiest Muslim shrines in India, Ajmer Sharif Dargah in Rajasthan, has been a most visited and famous landmark in the state. Renowned across the world for the tomb of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, the revered Sufi saint from Persia, who came to India and made his home there from 1192 till his death in 1236, the Dargah is now being claimed by a Hindutva group.
Surprisingly, a local court in Rajasthan on Wednesday issued notice in a civil suit with the claim that beneath the 13th-century shrine is a Shiva temple. The plea sent the notice to the minority ministry, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), and the Ajmer Dargah Committee, seeking survey of the shrine. The fresh claim on yet another Islamic structure come on the heels of Sambhal violence in which five Muslim youth lost lives while protesting against a survey of a mosque after a Hindutva group’s claim over the structure.
Read Also: Protest In Jamia Millia Islamia Against Sambhal Police Firing
The petition was filed by Hindu Sena chief Vishnu Gupta seeking directions that the Ajmer Sharif Dargah be declared as Bhagwan Shri Sankatmochan Mahadev Virajman temple. The petition demanded the removal of the dargah committee from the premises. It claimed that the roof design resembled a temple, so that it was originally a temple. It also sought the Union government’s intervention to construct a Bhagwan Shri Sankatmochan Mahadev Temple at the site where the shrine is located.
Rejecting the claim outrightly, Syed Sarwar Chishty, the custodian of the dargah, stated that it was not a joke that “every other day criminals come forward with a new claim.” He said the Dargah has been a place of worship for all religions, adding that I will remain such. Notably, a large number of dovotees, irrespective of their religions background, have been visiting the Sufi shrine for centuries.
Read Also: Uttarkashi Mosque: Uttarakhand HC Directs State To Ensure Safety Amid Call For Demolition
The shrine had been patronised by Mughal rulers, and noted leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi, former US president Barak Obama, and former Afghanistan president Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, have eighter visited or sent sacred Chadar to the Dargah. Situated near the central railway station, the white marble dome of the Suni shrine was built in 1532, and the Dargah welcomes visitors of all faiths. The Sufi has been a revered figure rooted in mysticism and reverence having drawn inspiration from noted Sunni Hanbali scholar and mystic, Abdallah Ansari.
While commemorating the death anniversary of Sufi saint Moinuddin Chishti, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had presented the sacred Chadar to the shrine earlier this year. Former prime ministers like Indira Gandhi have also offered Chadar to the world-famous shrine.
Read Also: Sambhal Death Toll Increases To 5, “Victims Were Shot From Close Range”
