The court-ordered survey of Jama Masjid is underway in Sambhal. Thereby, thrusting this historic town in Uttar Pradesh at the very center of a fiery debate. The 16th-century Jama Masjid faces allegations of being built over the ancient Hari Har Mandir.
The latest court-ordered survey of the structure has reignited centuries-old wounds and brought the temple-versus-mosque debate back into sharp focus. Muslims claim that no part of the Masjid is-or-was a temple. However, staking claim on lost mandirs, for many Hindus isn’t a battle about reclaiming a lost place of worship! It is fight to safeguard Hindu heritage, faith, and their very existence. Let’s talk!
History of Sambhal and Hari Har Mandir
हिंदू पक्ष की और से संभल की जामा मस्जिद पर श्री हरि कल्कि अवतार के मंदिर होने का दावे पर वकील श्री विष्णु शंकर जैन की याचिका पर संभल कोर्ट का फैसला
शाही जामा मस्जिद, संभल का होगा सर्वे अफसरों की टीम पहुंची भारी फोर्स तैनात कल रात से चल रहा है सर्वे
विष्णु शंकर जैन धन्यवाद 🙏 pic.twitter.com/vIC3YHMvNZ
— Tiger Raja ᴾᵃʳᵒᵈʸ (@TigerRajaSinggh) November 20, 2024
Sambhal holds a unique place for the Sanatana community of Bharat. Some believe that its name is a derivative of Lord Shiva’s name Shambhu. Others believe that its name is a distortion of Shambhala, believed to be the future birthplace of Kalki. These sacred connections make Sambhal a place of deep importance to Hindus.
16वीं सदी की जामा मस्जिद में सर्वेक्षण शुरू।
कोर्ट के आदेश के बाद रात को टीम पहुंची। देरी नहीं। भारी पुलिस बल तैनात है.
"मुगल सम्राट बाबर ने 1529 में इस जगह को आंशिक रूप से ध्वस्त कर दिया था। संभल की जामा मस्जिद वास्तव में प्राचीन हरिहर मंदिर है – हिंदू पक्ष का बयान!
🛕🔱👇 pic.twitter.com/P3BHxSGzXl— Nazia Elahi Khan (सनातनी) (@ElahiNazia1) November 19, 2024
In 1529, Babur destroyed the Hari Har Mandir of Smbhal to build the Jama Masjid as a painful reminder of his conquest of Hindus!
The destroyed temple was dedicated to Lord Hari (Vishnu) and Lord Har (Shiva). Historical accounts and local lore suggest that many signs of the original temple still exist in Jama Masjid. Architectural features, idols, and inscriptions shout the presence of its earlier temple form within the present mosque’s structure. These claims are the foundation of the current legal battle, spearheaded by Mahant Rishi Raj and Supreme Court lawyer Vishnu Shankar Jain.
The Court-Ordered Survey: What’s at Stake?
UTTARPRADESH: The Jama Masjid in Sambhal is the Shri Harihar Hindu Temple; Survey now being conducted!
Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain filed a petition in the Sambhal Civil Court today, asserting that the Jama Masjid was originally the Shri Harihar Temple, which was demolished by… pic.twitter.com/VntIWanAQl
— Ashwini Shrivastava (@AshwiniSahaya) November 19, 2024
On 19th November 2024, following a petition by Adv. Jain and Mahant Rishi Raj, a court in Chandausi ordered a detailed survey of Sambhal’s Jama Masjid. The survey, conducted under heavy police protection, involved videography and photography to document the site.
The findings are expected to be presented on 29th November 2024!
They could potentially reveal evidence supporting the claim that the Jama Masjid was built over a Hindu temple.
In the dead of night, they stormed Sambhal’s Jama Masjid with lies and propaganda, hoping to rewrite history.
After a frantic 2-hour survey, their false claims crumbled to dust.
This is, and will forever remain, Jama Masjid. No court, no conspiracy can change that. ✊🏻… https://t.co/AMjh60gHOW pic.twitter.com/KwYnauklv0
— Mohd Shadab Khan (@VoxShadabKhan) November 19, 2024
The survey has sparked protests from local Muslims, who see it as an affront to their place of worship. The mosque committee and local leaders, including MP Zia Ur Rahman Barq, have urged peace. They claim that the survey team found no evidence of Jama Masjid being a mandir. However, tensions run high in the region. Meanwhile, the Hindu plaintiffs argue that this fight isn’t about targeting any community. Instead, it is about reclaiming a sacred Hindu site wrongfully taken by force and subjugation centuries ago.
Hindus’ Fight for Justice and Identity
This isn’t the first time Hindus have sought to reclaim their sacred sites. From Ayodhya to Kashi and Mathura, it is a fight to reclaim a sacred place of worship. Through centuries of Islamic invasions and a short span of Islamic rule, temples were destroyed and mosques were erected as markers of conquest. Thus, today the Hindus are no longer willing to let history remain buried under the weight of forced erasures.
The push to reclaim the Hari Har Mandir is symbolic of a larger movement.
It reflects a growing determination among Hindus to preserve their culture, traditions, and religious sites from an ongoing cultural and demographic assault. The concept of Ghazwa-e-Hind rules the minds of radical “peaceful” Jihadis in Bharat. Consequently, Hindus fear that “peacefuls” threaten their very existence – be it through demographic shifts, ideological infiltration, or cultural suppression!
Beyond a Hari Har Mandir and Jama Masjid: A Fight for Existence
संभल की शाही जामा मस्जिद है और ता कयामत मस्जिद ही रहेगी, सर्वे में सुई की नोक के बराबर भी कुछ नहीं मिलेगा: ज़िया उर रहमान बर्क (सपा सांसद)@barq_zia #Sambhal #jamaMasjid pic.twitter.com/kmgIioZ51t
— Journo Mirror (@JournoMirror) November 20, 2024
The battle over Sambhal’s Jama Masjid is not merely about bricks and mortar. It is a fight to preserve the soul of a civilization. For Muslims, it is a matter of creating a false link of love and identity to a structure made by Babar, whose sole objective was to humiliate Hindus. For Hindus, this fight is about reclaiming the Hari Har Mandir that is a link to Bhagwan Vishnu in the land of the tenth avatar!
This fight is about asserting a Hindu right to exist in a land they have called home for millennia.
As the survey unfolds, its findings could alter the course of this debate, but one thing is clear: Hindus are resolute in their quest for justice. They seek not revenge, but recognition – a rightful acknowledgment of their history and culture. Sambhal is not the first and it will not be the last. However, it is a testament to a broader awakening among Hindus who are no longer willing to let bygones be bygones.
The controversy surrounding Sambhal’s Jama Masjid encapsulates the existential struggle of Hindus in modern India.
It is not just a legal battle but a cultural and spiritual war to reclaim what was lost to centuries of invasion and slavery. As the survey report approaches, the nation watches, and for Hindus, the stakes couldn’t be higher. This is our last land, our last refuge, and Hindus refuse to let it slip away into the hands of “peaceful” Jihadis.