KASHI'S OLDEST HINDU TEMPLE DESTROYED BY MUSLIM RULERS

KASHI'S OLDEST HINDU TEMPLE DESTROYED BY MUSLIM RULERS
Times of India, February 28, 1995

Lucknow: In the narrow winding lane from the Dashwashwamedh Ghat leading
towards the famed Vishwanath Mandir in Varanasi, the atmosphere is one of
extreme piety at all times of the day. The temple is, perhaps, one of the
most potent symbols of Hinduism in the country in a city which by all accounts
is one of the oldest centers of pilgrimage for the Hindus.

The original Vishwanath temple is supposed to have been built around 490 AD
during the Gupta period. Historical records suggest that it was destroyed by
Muslim rulers. The first Muslim invader to attack Varanasi was Ahmed
Nihalidin, the governor of the Indian province of the Ghazani empire, in the
11th century. His aim was to acquire the wealth accumulated in the temples
of Varanasi. Later, Qutub-ud-din Aibak of the slave dynasty invaded the city
and more than 1000 temples are said to have been destroyed in this onslaught.

After the defeat of Ibrahim Lodi in 1526, the city passed under the
control of Afghans but was later captured by the Moghul ruler Babur. In
1539, it was captured by Sher Shah Suri. In the tolerant regime of Akbar,
many temples and other structure were rebuilt by Hindu kings in Varanasi.

Raja Todar mal, one of the "jewels" in Akbar's court, constructed a new
temple on the site of the destroyed Vishwanath temple in 1585. This was
again destroyed by Aurangzeb in 1669 while on his way to conquer the Deccan.
Aurangzeb got a mosque constructed in its place. The present temple was
reconstructed by Maharani Ahilya Bai Holkar in 1777. The dome of the Vishwanath
temple was gold-plated by Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1839.

Adjacent to the temple is the Gyanvapi Masjid, which was built by Auragzeb
on the remnants of the original temple. He had, however, agreed to the plea
of the Kashi Brahmins that a temple would be allowed to exist adjacent to the
Gyanvapi masjid as also to the reconstruction of the Kali temple at
Aurangabad, about three km away. This temple, too, was destroyed by the
invading Muslim armies.

The remnants of the original Vishwanath temple are revered by the
devout Hindus as Shrinagar Gauri, the abode of Lord Mahadev. Muslims offer
namaz in the premises of the Gyanvapi masjid but not in the main hall.


http://www.hinduunity.org