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Synopsis

A civil suit has been filed by Vishnu Gupta, the President of Hindu Sena, before the Ajmer District Court, alleging that the Ajmer Dargah in Rajasthan was built over a Shiva temple.

The present case stemmed from a plea filed on September 24, which seeks to officially declare the site in question as 'Bhagwan Shri Sankatmochan Mahadev Virajman Temple.'

Earlier, on September 25, the Ajmer district court refused to entertain the suit, stating a lack of jurisdiction, and adjourned the matter to October 10.

The plea, filed by Advocate Shashi Ranjan Singh on behalf of Hindu Sena, stated that historical records and extensive research provide no concrete evidence as to whether the Ajmer Dargah was built on vacant land. Instead, the claims suggested that a Mahadeva temple once stood at the site in question, where the Hindu devotees worshipped their deities before the construction of the Ajmer Dargah.

As per the plea, there are allegations that the Muslim invaders destroyed the ancient Shiva Temple and subsequently built the Ajmer Dargah over it.

"The whole of the Dargah appears to have been built as usual in the times of the early Mussalman ruler, on the sites of old Hindus temples, partly by converting and partly by adding to the structures already existing," the plea added.

According to the plea, 'Books' and 'Evidence' also claim that the roof design of the main entrance gate of the Ajmer Shrine resembles a traditional Hindu structure.

The plea has further sought the reconstruction of the 'Bhagwan Shri Sankatmochan Mahadev Temple' at the location of the Mahadeva Linga currently existing on the site in question. It has requested arrangements to be made for pooja, bhog, and the performance of rituals, allowing devotees to worship.

In addition to that, the plea has also sought a scientific investigation into the matter by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), claiming that the survey should have been conducted long ago when the mystery and confusion about the true nature of Khwaja Dargah came to light.

In response to the plea, Syed Nasiruddin Chishti, the heir of the Dargah Dewan, strongly condemned the claims made by Hindu Sena. He stated that these assertions are insulting and disrespectful to both the Dargah and Khwaja Sahab and that it is another way of raising communal tension.

On the other hand, the Hindu Sena Chief claims that Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti came to Ajmer with Mohammad Ghori, an Afghan ruler who, after killing Prithviraj Chauhan, destroyed a large number of temples.

Case Title: Bhagwan Shri Sankatmochan Mahadev v Virajman Dargah Committee Dargah Khwaja Saheb

[Inputs: Financial Express]