Particularly, there is a trend in India today to show Islamic rulers’ reign starting with the Sultanate to Mughals as an era of intolerance. This view essentially brings up the exaggerated “destruction of temples by Islamic rulers of India” and presents this as a civilisational attack on Hinduism of today. Apart from the glaring stretch of history and fact that such a view employs, it also selectively reads parts of medieval history to suit the narrative i.e., Islamic Rulers destroyed Hindu temples therefore Islamic Rulers are bad. 

This view has been consistently countered with examples in History where Hindu kings raided Hindu temples and where Muslim Kings- including Aurangzeb-patronised Hindu temples. The counterview depicts the complex nature of Medieval History and the political prominence religious places harboured, therefore being the centre of attacks by rival kings. 

For example, what could be the explanation for Aurangazeb issuing a farman to demarcate 330 Bighas of land to Mahant Balak Das- the priest of Chitrakoot Balaji temple if the popular narrative is that he is a destroyer of temples? The explanation is that there is more to his reign and his relationship with temples and Hindus than the age-old political narrative that has been furthered by the right wing in the country. 

This is not to further such counters or expand them. This article is to present that Islamic influence on pre-Islamic era or the Hindu way of life- manifest in a magnificent culmination of architectural style that represents a meeting of cultures. Why is there a need to discuss this? It is because the era of medieval India is being painted as a grim era and nothing else. Whereas it was much more than that and it certainly was not simple enough to be put into two categories-harmonious or grim. Therefore, it is important to understand more about this era and not be carried away by the narratives that are meant to distort history and divert minds, divide people. 

The tale of Dravidian Mosques

Temple architecture is divided into three categories in India- Nagara style- predominant in Northern India, Dravida Style- predominant in Southern India, Vesara Style- A hybrid of both Nagara and Dravida styles, originating in present day Karnataka. 

Tamil Nadu has some Mosques which are built in Dravidian style although many were built in the 13th and 14th centuries.  Referred to as Kallupallis, these were built like mandaps so that people can pray together. The only condition that was stipulated by whoever commissioned the building of a Mosque was that there should not be any sculptures in the Mosque, on the walls or pillars. Therefore, the masons who are used in constructing temples, carved flowers on the pillars etc. This condition of not carving sculptures was also present during the famed Mughal era. 

As the splinters of Islamic rulers came to the Deccan in the form of Bahmanis, Qutubshahiss and others, this Dravidian style merged with the local ruler specific style, which was in turn inspired by the Islamic style. 

Keezhakarai old Jumma mosque, Image source- Inmathi.com

Jalis- A feature common in Hindu and Islamic architecture

In an average Hindu household, which has a pooja box-having images and small idols of various gods, one can see that the doors are also perforated with a nice-looking design called Jali.

Household Jaali Temple
Source: Woodshala.com

This usage of Jali is a continuation of the practice of ancient prayer sites of Buddhists and Hindus having Jalis to create conditions where light is allowed but also a sense of privacy is given to the congregation. This design was adapted by the Islamic rulers, when constructing Mosques or any other structures to allow light but also maintain privacy on a large scale. This large-scale adoption of Jalis in many structures, like the Hawa Mahal in Jaipur, led to the common usage that we see in day-to-day architecture in India. The Hawa Mahal, built during the rule of Sawai Pratap Singh- a Rajput ruler and designed by Ustaad Lal Chand- is an amalgamation of Indo-Islamic style of architecture. The Hawa Mahal was constructed with many Jali Walls to ensure privacy, diffused light and view.

Hawa Mahal, Jaipur. Image Source- Vijesh Vijayan, Creative Commons

Influence of Islamic Architecture on Temples

Maratha Architecture and its relationship with Islamic Architecture

There was a noted difference between the Yadava tradition of Architecture and Maratha tradition which was influenced by Islamic style for longer periods. The most prominent influence is the materials and the construction systems that were employed. While Yadava architecture was predominantly rooted in stone systems- by using coloumns and pillars to support the layers of stones rather than binding elements-Maratha era temples employed the technique of using cementing materials such as lime-an Islamic way of building temples. It was also found that the early Marathas, in their architecture borrowed from the Sultanate architecture like the Samadhi of Lakhuji Jadhav, 1630. Lakhuji Jadhav was the maternal grandfather of Chatrapathi Shivaji. However, it is important to note that Lakhuji was a Mansabdar of Mughal empire thus showing the connections between the two. 

Pranami Movement and the Prannath Temple, Panna

The Prannath Temple, located in Panna, Madhya Pradesh, is an architectural marvel that reflects the synthesis of Hindu and Islamic elements. It was constructed in 1692. The temple’s design incorporates intricate carvings, domes, and arches reminiscent of Islamic architecture, while also featuring traditional Hindu elements such as ornate pillars, mandapas, and sanctums.

The fusion of these architectural styles at the Prannath Temple symbolises the inclusive philosophy of the Pranami Movement, promoting coexistence and understanding between different religious traditions. The use of domes and arches, typically associated with Islamic architecture, coexists harmoniously with the detailed carvings and sculptures inspired by Hindu art.

Despite fighting the Mughals, Maharaja Chhatrasal Bundela- a Rajput ruler who ruled Bundelkhand- was inspired by Sant Prannath who later became Maharaja’s spiritual guru. Sant Prannath spent the last 11 years of life in Panna, Bundelkhand while preaching his syncretistic religious philosophy that included Islamic tenets to a Rajput Ruler who were one of the prime opposing rulers to the then Mughal ruler Aurangzeb. It is argued that Prannath’s idea of comparative religion had practical applications as he found the crux of both Hinduism and Islam, established a common solidarity thus mitigating conflict. 

Prannath Temple, Panna, Madhya Pradesh
Image Source: panna.nic.in

Conclusion

These examples indicate that there was a movement of knowledge, trade and know how between the kingdoms, irrespective of their religion. The aforementioned examples are testaments to both Hindu and Muslims adopting each other’s styles and trying to intermingle. History is neither all violence nor all peace. It is filled with pockets of violence and peace and when seen from a contemporary viewpoint, lacks abundant information. There is a need to delve deeper into the historical context of medieval India, avoiding oversimplified narratives that categorize the era as either harmonious or grim. The Pranami Movement and the architectural marvels discussed serve as poignant examples of the intricate interplay between different cultures and religions, challenging us to appreciate the rich tapestry of India’s past and resist the distortion of history for contemporary agendas. 

Related:

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Gyanvapi Case: Copy-Paste Pattern a la Babri Case – Not Just Legally But Politically, Too?

The SC’s decision on ASI Survey of Gyanvapi: An analysis

Gyan Vapi Masjid: Where can we go when our elders are buried here ask anguished Muslims from Varanas

The post Medieval India: Indo-Islamic Architecture is an amalgam of cultures, not at war with each other appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Brief background of the petition:

The court was hearing a petition moved by K.Thangarasu @ K.Thangaraj to seek police protection for holding a festival at a temple. The petitioner claimed to be the Hereditary Trustee of Arulmighu Sri Ruthra Maha Kaliyamman Alayam. The petitioner had requested police protection in order to ensure that no undesirable situations occurrs during a celebration proposed to be held between July 23 and August. It was purported by the petitioner that the said celebration takes place every year during the Aadi month.

Arguments of the state:

The State submitted to the court that there was an ongoing dispute going on between two parties regarding the festival’s conduct. Furthermore, it was said that despite the Tahsildar presiding over a Peace Committee meeting, no agreement could be accomplished so far. There was also a disagreement about who would maintain the Vinayagar idol inside the shrine. It was provided to the court that to contain the dispute, the Tahsildar issued an order that no one should keep the Voinayagar idol inside the temple. In view of the above-mentioned submissions, it was argued by the State that granting permission for the festival would result in law-and-order issues. 

Observations of the court:

After hearing the submissions of both the parties, the court expressed dismay that the temple festival has become a stage for groups to show their strength and perpetuate violence. 

“The purpose of a temple is to enable the devotees to worship God for peace and happiness. However, unfortunately, temple festivals are perpetuating violence and it is only becoming a centre stage for groups to show who is powerful in the particular area. There is no devotion involved in conducting these festivals and rather it has become a show of strength by one group or the other. This completely defeats the very purpose of conducting temple festivals,” the court observed in its order. (Para 6)

The Bench of Justice Anand Venkatesh stated that it is a better option to close such temples in order to prevent violent incidents if these celebrations just serve to perpetuate conflict between different groups. The court further added that the whole purpose of having a temple is of no use unless a man drops his ego and goes to the temple to seek blessings. 

“If temples are going to perpetuate violence, the existence of temples will have no meaning and in all such cases, it would be better to close down those temples so that the violence can be averted. Till the man drops his ego and goes to the temple seeking for the blessings of the god, the whole purpose of having a temple is of no use,” the court added in its order. (Para 6)

The court also stated that many groups are more concerned in displaying their strength than they are in being devoted to God. In addition to this, the court remarked that although the Police and the Revenue department have essential jobs to do, they frequently spend time and resources trying to settle disagreements between the groups. 

“The time and energy of the Police and Revenue department is unnecessarily wasted in resolving dispute between the groups, who are fighting over their right to conduct the temple festival. The Police and Revenue have got other important functions to perform and their time is wasted by trying to resolve the dispute between two groups who have no devotion to God and are more interested in showing their strength over the other. In the considered view of this Court, the precious time of the Revenue and Police cannot be wasted in disputes of this nature,” the court observed in its order. (Para 7)

Thus, the court observed that there was no question of providing police protection and the parties had liberty to conduct festival peacefully without their ego coming to the forefront. The court also directed the police to interfere and take necessary action in case of law-and-order problem and stop the festival from proceeding, if necessary. (Para 8)

Thus, the court dismissed the said petition without imposing any costs.

The complete order may be read here:

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The post Temple festivals used to display strength, perpetuate violence, better to have them closed: Madras HC appeared first on SabrangIndia.

In Bangladesh’s northern Thakurgaon district, 14 idols in 12 temples were vandalized by unidentified extremists on Sunday. Khairul Anam, officer-in-charge of Baliadangi police station informed the media that the temples were located at Dhantala, Paria and Charul unions in the Baliadangi upazila.

Dhantala union Puja Ujjapon Committee general secretary Jotirmoy Singh said, “We have been offering Puja in the temples for about fifty years. No untoward incidents took place during the years. We demand justice and immediate arrest of those involved in vandalism,” reported India Today.

Some idols were destroyed while some were found in ponds in the temple premises. A hindu community leader Samar Chatterjee asserted that the region is known for its inter religious harmony and no such incident had taken place in the past. He also said that the Muslim community does have any disp;ute with them and was unable to pin point who the culprit could be.

“It clearly appears to be a case of an orchestrated attack to disrupt the peaceful situation of the country,” Thakurgaon’s police chief Jahangir Hossain told reporters at one of the temple sites, reported NDTV.

The Dhaka Tribune described the incident as a “terrible shame” and wrote in its editorial, “To hear that Hindu idols were vandalized, once again, in over a dozen temples in Baliadangi upazila of Thakurgaon is proof of the intolerance that a portion of our population still fosters — and that is a terrible shame in and of itself.

Another newspaper in Bangladesh, The Daily Star, demanded that action be taken against the culprits and in its editorial wrote that “Did they want to create an atmosphere of fear among the Hindu community of Thakurgaon? Or did the criminals simply hold the misguided notion that by desecrating sacred symbols of other religions, they are actually showing love for their own? Whatever might have been their twisted reason, we must send them a strong and clear message that every person in the country has the right to practice their own religion, and that this right is guaranteed by our constitution.”

In October last year some unidentified people vandalized an idol of a deity at a Hindu temple in Bangladesh’s Jhenaidah. The issue of temple attacks was brought forth in the bilateral meet with Bangladesh in November last year, by Home Minister Amit Shah.

Related:

Gujarat 1992: Hindus who saved a dargah in Surat

“Hindu scriptures offer no moral teachings,” says Bangladeshi hardliner

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In an embarrassment to the government, Kashmiri Pandits who have braved conflict conditions in the Kashmir Valley questioned the figures given by Minister of State for Home Kishan Reddy at a press conference in Bangaluru on Monday (September 23). There are a total of just 5,000 to 7,000 temples across Jammu and Kashmir, however, the government has reached a figure of 50,000 temples? How, questions the Kashmiri Pandit Sangarsh Samiti (KPSS).

It is the organisation representing Kashmiri Pandits living in the valley, the KPSS, consisting of persons of the minority who have not migrated after militancy erupted, that has questioned the figures given by Minister of State for Home Kishan Reddy in a press conference in Bangaluru on Monday.Reddy has said around 50,000 temples were closed over the years in Jammu and Kashmir, of which some were destroyed, and their idols were defaced. The minister said a survey has been ordered and the temples vandalised in Jammu and Kashmir needed restoration.

“In the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir, total number of big and small temples would not be more than 5,000 to 7,000. According to our survey there are a total of 1,842 temples, shamshanbhoomis, holy springs, holy trees and caves in Kashmir Valley,” said Sanjay Tickoo president Kashmiri PanditSangarshSamiti (KPSS).”While talking about the renovation or reconstruction of temples, it is also important to see that somebody is there to lghit a diya in the temple in the morning and in the evening,” said Sanjay Tickoo.

While Kashmir and the Kashmiri people live in prison like conditions amidst a 55 day clampdown, the ruling party has made the questionable abrogation of Article 370 into an all-India ‘election issue’ whipping up supremacist sentiments around the move.

According to Sanjay Tickoo, during the second term of the UPA, while replying to a question of BJP leader Rajeev Pratap Ruddy about the number of temples in Kashmir, Government of India said total number of temples in Kashmir is 464 — out of which 174 temples were either destroyed or were in a bad condition.”You don’t just open a temple and show it in the media and the same temple gets closed down after a year or two, I think that is the biggest sin,” said Tickoo.
 
Sanjay Tickoo said the revocation of Article 370 was a hasty step taken by the central government without consulting the mainstream political parties of the state. He said Pandits living in Kashmir are bearing the maximum brunt of this move.

“Only government of India knows why Article 370 was revoked, but communication gag and restrictions are not going to remain forever. Our relatives and friends are worried, we can’t be kept in a dark cave forever,” Tickoo said.

“Our condition is like that of the majority community of Kashmir, but Muslims can at least go and meet with their friends, if they don’t have food, they can go to mosques or approach mohalla committees. What about us?

He said: “150 out of 808 Kashmiri Pandit families who didn’t migrate from Kashmir are dependent on private jobs; they won’t get their salaries for two months and are heading towards starvation.”

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Seven high-explosive steels bombs have been recovered from an Rashtriya Swayamvsevak Sangh (RSS) local centre at Keezhur in Kannur district of Kerala.
The bombs were found in buckets covered with sacks, near the Vaireeghaathakan Bhagavathi temple at Kottathe Kunnu locality, Punnad in Keezhur-Chavassery panchayat.  Deshabhimini published a story. This newspaper is run by the CPI-M.

Last year, the temple was the concluding spot for the ‘Shobha Yatra’ (procession) organised by Balagokulam, the Sangh Parivar organisation for children.
The bombs were found by workers who were clearing shrubs in the area on Thursday, 7 September.

According to local news reports, a team consisting of Iritty Sub Inspector P.C. Sanjay Kumar, Assistant Sub Inspector KK Ragesh, and Bineesh, Jithesh, Ranjith and Sreegith from the Kannur Bomb Squad reached the spot and neutralised the bomb. On examination, it was discovered that the bombs were made recently.

Last year in August in the run-up to Sri Krishna Jayanti celebrations, Deekshith, an RSS worker, had been killed while manufacturing crude bombs at Thalassery in Kannur district. The police had recovered a big cache of weapons from his house.

Poonambath Pradeep, Deekshith’s father, is a BJP leader from Kannur. Deekshith’s brother Diljith was a candidate of the BJP-led NDA in the 2015 panchayat elections in Kerala.
Several incidents of RSS workers being killed or being caught while making bombs in the run-up to religious festivals have occurred in the recent years.

Temples with managing committees with close affiliations to the RSS are often used by the Hindutva outfit as centres for arms training and ideological propaganda. Political observers say that the attempt of the RSS has been to foment communal tension by indulging in acts of violence and then blaming it on people belonging to minority communities.

In March this year, RSS workers had thrown bombs at devotees in the premises of Nittukomam temple at Ampiladu, Koothuparamba.
In spite of such activities by sectarian outfits, Kerala has remained largely peaceful with one of the lowest rates of communal riots in India.
Kerala: Seven explosives recovered from Kannur district’s Kizhoor by Police, earlier today. pic.twitter.com/FC4ko3GoDP

— ANI (@ANI) September 7, 2017

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Image credit:  Haroon Khalid

There is quiet struggle going on in the city of Nankana Sahib in Pakistan – the birthplace of Guru Nanak.

Facing Gurudwara Janam Asthan, built on the spot where the first Sikh guru’s home once was, is a large mosque with a tall minaret.

Over the last few years, on each visit I make to the city, I find that the length of the minaret has increased. Its construction seems never-ending – and perhaps it is. The minaret is a symbol, an assertion of an identity that believes it is under threat.

Leaving home

After Partition, no Sikh families were left behind in Nankana Sahib. Its holiest shrines, associated with Guru Nanak, were abandoned and came to be occupied by tall grass and drug addicts. Over time, with the situation worsening for the Sikh community in the tribal areas following the Indo-Pak wars of 1965 and 1971, a few Pathan Sikh families moved to Nankana Sahib. The numbers increased exponentially with the emergence of the Taliban in the tribal areas and their demand for Jizya, a tax historically levy on non-Muslim subjects in a Muslim state.

As the community’s population in Nankana Sahib grew, there emerged a confidence and collective sense of identity that Hindus and Sikhs in Pakistan’s Punjab had been robbed of at the time of Partition. This reflects in the ever-increasing scale of celebrations during Guru Nanak Jayanti, when a festival is held here in November to celebrate the guru’s birthday.

Empowered local Sikhs and foreign-currency wielding pilgrims meant better care of gurudwaras in the city. The government of Pakistan woke up to the potential of Sikh religious tourism and started renovating and protecting Sikh places of worship. Nankana Sahib once again emerged as a significant Sikh city in the eyes of Pakistanis and the rest of the world, even though there are only a few thousand Sikhs living here compared to hundreds of thousands of Muslims.

On the surface, they share a harmonious relationship, with local vendors benefiting from the surge of the tourists and local Sikhs merging into the economy of the city. However, a little bit of probing reveals the tensions. One example is that of religious purity. Many restaurants refuse to offer food to members of the Sikh community, fearing that their contact would yield their utensils impure.

In 2012, a young Sikh from the city, Dhavinder Singh, was killed, leading to tensions between the Sikh and Muslim communities. Further, there is property running into hundreds of acres linked to the gurudwaras of Nankana Sahib, most of which is now under the control of Muslim traders. As a result of this, tensions between the communities remain high. It is in this context that the tall minaret of the mosque facing Gurudwara Janamasthan should be seen. The minaret is an exertion of dominance, of asserting that one religion is superior to the other.

Lost heritage

In this engagement between these two communities the Hindu heritage is ignored. It is conveniently forgotten that there was once a thriving Hindu community here as well, which has left behind an equally remarkable architectural heritage.

When I first spotted the turret of a temple from the roof of Gurudwara Tambu Sahib in Nankana Sahib, I was drawn to it like a magnet. It was a lone structure surrounded by houses, domes of the gurduwaras and minarets of mosques. It was the only one brave enough to fight for space in an already-contested land. Following the turret, I walked through the streets of Nankana Sahib, passing several Sikh pilgrims gathered around the gurudwaras.

The temple at Nankana Sahib

Unlike other street, this was quiet. The quest for the turret led me to a wooden door with a chain on the top. I knocked the chain on the door, and in an instant, the door opened, as if someone was already waiting inside.

“Please come in,” said a middle aged man wearing a white shalwar kameez, not even asking me my name or the purpose of my visit. His name was Amjad and he was a professor at a local government college. He led me past a narrow staircase to the top floor of his house. The temple was on the roof, a tall turret with a small room underneath. Outside, at the entrance, there was an idol of Hanuman.

Surprised, I turned towards Amjad.

“No one worships here, so I saw no point in destroying the idol,” he said. Islam is regarded as an iconoclast religion. Mahmud Ghaznvi’s invasion of Somnath temple in the religio-nationalist discourse is projected as a heroic action. It is the same tradition that the Taliban followed in Afghanistan when they destroyed thousands of years old Buddha statues at Bamiyan.

After Partition, most Hindu temples of Punjab were taken over by migrants who had come from India or property grabbers and were severely damaged. Their idols were removed and destroyed. Frescoes depicting Hindu deities were chiseled out.

Some of these temples were used as houses and were whitewashed to remove all trace of their Hindu past.

So this was a rare instance of residents making an effort to preserve the sanctity of the temple that gave way to their house. The main shrine was unoccupied but clean. Its frescoes – mostly floral patterns but also sacred scripts – were well-preserved.

“Hundreds of rioters gathered outside our home in 1992 after the destruction of the Babri Mosque,” he said. “They wanted to destroy the temple. But my father dissuaded them. He told them it is not a temple but our house.”

Remnants of the past

The story reminded me of another tale I heard hundreds of kilometers away, in the heart of Margalla Hills near Islamabad, where the mighty city of Taxila once thrived. The ruins of the ancient city are scattered along its vicinity. The Taxila museum next to the ruins contains hundreds of items unearthed from these ancient sites.

Almost exclusively Buddhist, the museum contains some of the most iconic depictions of the Buddha. I was on my way out of the museum when, in the middle of the contemporary city of Taxila, I saw the turrets of a Hindu temple. I knew I had to visit the shrine.

Driving through the crowded streets of the city I found myself at the gate of the temple, a black structure with three turrets. I was greeted at the gate by a young Pasthun boy named Muhammad Ali. “There are three families living in the complex of the temple but the main shrine which was upstairs is unoccupied and locked,” he told me. “One day when I was sleeping with my feet towards the temple, an old man with a white beard appeared in my dream who told me to respect the sanctity of the temple. He also told me that I should regularly clean it. Since that day, every morning I open the temple and clean it. I also pray here sometimes and know god is listening to me.”

On the outskirts of the historical city of Bhera in the Punjab province, a great learning centre when the Chinese traveler Fa Hien arrived here in the fourth century CE, is a lonely structure of a small Shiv temple, a little out of place in the midst of newly constructed brick houses. Sometime in the fourth century BCE, the city was razed to the ground by the forces of Alexander the Macedonian.

In the 16th century, it faced the wrath of the Mughal King Babur. It was then renovated by Afghan king Sher Shah Suri, in the 1940s. Sher Shah Suri had established the Sur dynasty after he deposed Babur’s son, Humayun, to become king. Just outside the walled city, there is a historical mosque believed to have been summoned by the Afghan king.

The Sher Shah Mosque at Bhera

Standing on a vacant plot, the Shiv temple is a single-storey structure, with a shivling in the centre. There were blackened lamps around it, showing that they had been recently lit.

A teenage boy followed me into the temple and told me that it was an abandoned shrine till a few years ago, when some people from the city noticed an old man – a saint with long, white hair and a beard – sitting inside. He sat there into the night. “It was then that the people realised this place was sacred and started lighting lamps here.”
 

Haroon Khalid is the author of the books In Search of Shiva: A study of folk religious practices in Pakistan and A White Trail: A journey into the heart of Pakistan’s religious minorities.

(This article was first published on Scroll.in.)

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