The Mosques Of Aurangzeb In Mathura & Varanasi

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History has now become a powerful political weapon. Historical narratives are now used for political gains–and to engineer social change.

Mathura and Varanasi – two places of utmost importance to Hinduism. Varanasi is the birth place of the Hindu deity Shiva and Mathura is the birthplace of the Hindu deity Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu. Both of them– considered the preserver and the destroyer– are very powerful gods in Hinduism. Vishnu, though he was considered to be the preserver in Hindu mythology, could not preserve his two temples from being destroyed by, not Shiva, but Aurangzeb.

Aurangzeb, the Mughal Emperor who ruled before the decline of the Mughal dynasty, destroyed a Vishnu temple in Varanasi and a Krishna Temple in Mathura. In place of those two temples, he built the Alamgir mosque and the Idgah mosque. According to Hindutva fanatics, the temple in Mathura was the exact birthplace of Krishna.

Strangely, already, there is a temple called Krishna Janmabhoomi temple. That temple is supposed to be where Lord Krishna was born. But that does not mean anything to the Hindutva people. They claim that part of the temple was destroyed by Aurangzeb and, in place of that, the Idgah mosque was built. In this, they are not wrong. The claim that the mosque is where Krishna appeared is contestable.



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