Petition in HC by 108 Bajrang Dal activists says Jamia Masjid in Karnataka erected on Hanuman Temple

New Delhi, Nov 17: Members of the Bajrang Dal have filed a petition in the Karnataka Court on November 17 requesting that the Jamia Masjid in Srirangapatna be vacated. The petitioners have alleged that they have proof that the Mosque was once a Hindu Temple.

There are traces of Hindu gods and temple structure in the Jamia Mosque of historical Srirangapatna town in Mandya district. Hence, the mosque should be vacated immediately and also, Hindu devotees should be allowed to take bath in the Kalyani (sacred water body) located in the premises of the mosque," the petition read.

The petitioners have asked that the Mosque be resurveyed along the lines of the disputed structure of the Gyanvapi Mosque which stands on top of the original Kashi Vishwanath Temple.

The petition was filed by 108 Hanuman devotees including State president of the Bajrang Sene, B Manjunath. He said that 108 is an auspicious number for Hindus and hence those many of them filed the petition.

He also added that the Bajrang Dal activists have also furnished evidence of the Mysore Gazetteer, the presence of Hindu architecture in the Mosque and the inscriptions on Hindu idols. To substantiate their claims further the petitioners also speak of the sacred water body in the premises and references to British officers to the court. They allege that the Jamia Masjid in Srirangapatna was erected on the site of a Hanuman Temple during the rule of Tipu Sultan.

Permission to worship:

In May this year, some activists had petitioned the Deputy Commissioner of Mandya for permission to worship the Anjaneya idol in the Jamia Masjid. They said that they would want to perform pooja in the Mosque.

They alleged that the structure was previously a Temple and had been converted into a Mosque. They presented a memorandum to allow Hindus to perform pooja inside the Jamia Masjid which is popularly known as Masjid-i-Ala.

About the Mosque:

The Mosque is located within the Srirangapatna Fort which was erected under the Vijayanagar Empire. Later it was taken over by Tipu Sultan. He then constructed a Mosque near his place in the early 1780s.

The historic monument in which a Madrasa also operates is managed by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).