102 quotes found
"Aurangzeb cared nothing for art, destroyed its "heathen" monuments with coarse bigotry, and fought, through a reign of half a century, to eradicate from India almost all religions but his own. He issued orders to the provincial governors, and to his other subordinates, to raze to the ground all the temples of either Hindus or Christians, to smash every idol, and to close every Hindu school. In one year ( 1679-80) sixty-six temples were broken to pieces in Amber alone, sixty-three at Chitor, one hundred and twenty-three at Udaipur; and over the site of a Benares temple especially sacred to the Hindus he built, in deliberate insult, a Mohammedan mosque."
"The Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi is very certainly located on the exact site of the Vishvanath temple, and visibly includes remains of the old temple walls."
"The Lord Cherisher of the Faith learnt that in the provinces of Tatta, Multan, and especially at Benares, the Brahman misbelievers used to teach their false books in their established schools, and that admirers and students both Hindu and Muslim, used to come from great distances to these misguided men in order to acquire this vile learning. His Majesty, eager to establish Islam, issued orders to the governors of all the provinces to demolish the schools and temples of the infidels and with the utmost urgency put down the teaching and the public practice of the religion of these misbelievers.'...'It was reported that, according to the Emperor's command, his officers had demolished the temple of Viswanath at Kashi.'.."
"It is a small mosque wholly devoid of magnificence, erected, according to Mussulman practice, upon the ruins of a Hindoo temple. The limited site on which it was built may not have admitted of the usual display of beauty or splendour, or the imperial founder may have considered it more as a monument of triumph than of grandeur — have desired rather that it should express contempt than command admiration, Benares was indeed taken and plundered, and given up to every excess, by Mahomed Gauri in the year 1194; but the mosque in question was constructed by Aurungzebe, who has left behind him many similar proofs of his persecution of the Hindoos. A humane king would have lamented the past injuries of his subjects, a great one would have repaired them, but Aurungzebe, in a more enlightened age, and without the palliation of his predecessor, a barbarian and a conqueror, deliberately augmented the desolation of the city, the object of veneration of a whole people, and treated with derision and dishonour the religious feelings of its most peaceful inhabitants. It struck me as one of the most remarkable instances of the passive character of the Hindoos that they should have suffered the lofty minarets of this mosque to tower over their temples so long, and to be the first objects that meet the eye of the pilgrim on his approach to the far-sought sanctuary of his religion."
"Your visit at the demise of the Muslim rule, O ruler of men! proves to be as soothing as a shade to a sun-stricken man. Your darsana (appearance) here is like ointment to the wound sustained by our heart on our seeing the mosque near the Visvanatha temple."
"“When I go to the Vishwanath Mandir in Benares and listen to the most powerful, magical aarti I hear from the priests that the knowledge of it will probably die because the temple is now controlled by secular bureaucrats”."
"At the back of the mosque and in continuation of it are some broken remains of what was probably the old Bishwanath Temple. It must have been a right noble building ; there is nothing finer, in the way of architecture in the whole city, than this scrap. A few pillars inside the mosque appear to be very old also."
"The great Vishvanath temple was destroyed no less than three times during the centuries. It is said that in AD 1994, when first attacked by Aibak, and on each subsequent occasion, Brahmins hid the jyotirlinga... The temple was subsequently rebuilt at another location, where too it was ravaged..."
"if owing to the power of foreign rulers, there is no linga at all in that place, even so, the dharma of thee place itself should be observed, with rites of circumambulation, salutation, etc..."
"In some cities, Varanasi or Lucknow, for example, mosques dominate the landscape. In Varanasi, of course, deemed by many the Hindu city par excellence, small temples literally dot the ghats and city, although most of them date no earlier than the late eighteenth century It is particularly interesting that Rani Ahilya Bai Holkar’s newly constructed Vishvanath temple, the focal tirtha in all Varanasi, is notably smaller than the adjacent mosque constructed during Aurangzeb’s reign from the spoils of an earlier Vishvanath temple.” Yet the Rani was a woman of considerable resources, and the temple was built in 1777 when Hindu political power dominated in Varanasi.” Had she wished to build a larger temple, rather than one almost lost in the interior gullies of Dasashvamedh Ghat, she could have done so."
"The object of the Marathas in all these undertakings was religious as well as political. They particularly intended to get the holy places of Prayag and Kashi back into Hindu possession. On 18th .June 1751 a Maratha agent writes, “ Malharrao has pitched his monsoon camp in the Doab. He intended to pull down the grand Mas j id built by Aurangzeb at Benares and restore the original temple of Kashi-Vishveshwar. The Brahmans of Kashi feel extremely terrified at such a move, for they realize the Muslim strength in these places. What the holy Ganges and the Protector Vishveshwar can ordain will come true. The Brahmans are going to send a strong appeal to the Peshwa against any such attempt by his Sardars.”"
"Even if the linga of Vishveshvara here is taken off somewhere and another is brought in and established by human hands, on account of the difficulty of the times, whatever is established in that place should be worshipped.… And if, owing to the power of foreign rulers, there is no linga at all in that place, even so, the dharma of the place itself should be observed, with rites of circumambulation, salutation, etc., and in this way the daily pilgrimage [nityayātrā] shall be performed."
"The great Vishwanath temple was destroyed at least thrice from the twelfth century onwards. It was first attacked by Aibak in 1194 ce. Queen Raziya (r. 1236-1240), during her short chaotic reign, appropriated the site and had a mosque constructed there. The further history of Visveshvara has been described as “one of stubbornness and bigotry”. The temple became a prime symbol of Hindu resistance; they repeatedly rebuilt, as Muslims continually destroyed."
"though here the linga of Visvesvara is removed and another is brought in its place by human beings, owing to the times, the pilgrims must worship whatever linga is in this place."
"... the pagoda of Benares, which, after that of Jagannath, is the most famous in all India, with which it is even, as it were, on a par, being also built on the margin of the Ganges, and in the town of which it bears the name ."
"The name of this temple (which is the most venerated in Benares) is Bisseshwar or Visseshwar. Crossing the little court, which was very splashy from the quantity of libations poured out, we ascended a very narrow staircase, up which no stout person could go, to what might be called the leads of the temple. Here were three quadrilateral domes close together, which are being gilded from money left by Ranjit Sing. Immense sums were sent with a portion of his ashes to various temples, and amongst others to this one. The temple is very small in comparison to European places of worship. On descending, we were led along a curious passage full of images and altars like the first (the whole having much the appearance of the entry to a museum of antiquities), - to a well in which, when the former temple was desecrated by the Muhammadans under Aurangzeb, the god took refuge. It is surrounded by a railing, and offerings of flowers, water, and rice are continually thrown down to propitiate the helpless divinity. The odour of sanctity of Hindu Mythology is not more agreeable to the olfactory nerves than that of the Romish begging fraternities – so we quickly left the spot. The Brahmans seem in no way different in dress from their countrymen, except that all of those in the temple had their heads and beards partially shaved. Most of them wore red mantles. The remains of the former temple were very fine. On its ruins Aurangzeb built a mosque, which we proceeded to visit, and coming from the idol temple, I felt a relief, and even an emotion of sympathy with the simple building we entered, where, at least, there was nothing outward and visible to dishonour the Most High. The only thing which it contained was a raised place for the mullah to preach from."
"“In August, 1669, the temple of Vishvanath at Banaras was demolished. The presiding priest of the temple was just in time to remove the idols and throw them into a neighbouring well which thus became a centre of interest ever after. The temple of Gopi Nath in Banaras was also destroyed about the same time. He (Aurangzeb) is alleged to have tried to demolish the Shiva temple of Jangamwadi in Banaras”, but could not succeed because of opposition."
"Thousands of pilgrims who visit Mathura or walk past the site of Vishvanath temple and Gyanvapi Masjid in Varanasi everyday, are reminded of Mughal vandalism and disregard for Hindu sensitivities by Muslim rulers."
"Mosques of Alamgir (Aurangzeb). It is said that the mosque of Benares was built by Alamgir on the site of the Bisheshwar Temple. That temple was very tall and (held as) holy among the Hindus. On this very site and with those very stones he constructed a lofty mosque, and its ancient stones were rearranged after being embedded in the walls of the mosque. It is one of the renowed mosques of Hindustan. The second mosque at Benares (is the one) which was built by Alamgir on the bank of the Ganga with chiselled stones. This also is a renowned mosque of Hindustan. It has 28 towers, each of which is 238 feet tall. This is on the bank of the Ganga and its foundations extend to the depth of the waters. Alamgir built a mosque at Mathura. It is said that this mosque was built on the site of the Gobind Dev Temple which was very strong and beautiful as well as exquisite…”"
"Om! Glory be to Ganapati. In Ayodhya lived formerly Sadhesadhu, the speaker of truth, beloved of good men, whose delight consisted in the welfare of all beings. His son was the famous Sadhunidhi, whose son Padmasadhu, of steadfast virtue, on the north side of the entrance to the Visvesvara temple at Kasi built a solid and lofty temple of god Padmesvara, on Wednesday, the twelfth day of the waning moon of the month of Jyaishtha, in the year of Plava: Samvat 1353, on which day this eulogy was written."
"That another Vishweshwara shrine had come up in Varanasi by or before 1296 ce is attested by the fact that an inscription dated Wednesday, 15 May 1296, in another newly constructed grand Vishnu shrine, called Padmeswhar, states, Om! Glory to Ganapati. In Ayodhya, lived formerly Sadhesadhu, the speaker of truth, beloved of good men, whose delight consisted in the welfare of all beings. His son was the famous Sadhunidhi, whose son Padmasadhu, of steadfast virtue, on the north side of the entrance to the Visvesvara temple at Kashi built a solid and lofty temple of God Padmesvara, on Wednesday, the twelfth day of the waning moon of the Jyaistha, in the year of Plava: Samvat 1353 [i.e., 1296 ce], on which day this eulogy was written."
"Even if the linga of Viśveśvara here is taken off somewhere and another is brought in and established by human hands, on account of the difficulty of the times, whatever is established in that place should be worshipped, or the spot where it was should itself be worshipped … these acts of worship have to be performed with regard to the different liṅga that has come to occupy that spot even though the primary Viśveśvara Jyotirliṅga is not present there…and if, owing to the power of the wicked foreign rulers (Mlecchaadi Dushta Raja), there is no linga at all in that place, even so, the dharma of the place itself should be observed, with rites of circumambulation, salutation etc. and in this way the daily pilgrimage (nitya yatra) shall be performed …. Such performances are to be construed as similar even in situations of replacement of liṅga or the replacement of the pratimā (image)."
"A later court judgment of the British era in 1937 speaks about this episode and why it might have been downplayed by Muslim court chroniclers: If this story [of draught and rain] is true, then it established the efficacy of Hindu worship and of mantras, and therefore, it is possible that the Muslim historians may not have narrated this fact. The indifference of the Hindus to write history in those and previous day[s] is proverbial. However, it is a historical fact that Akbar permitted the construction and re-construction of temples, generally so even if no permission was given by him, then too it is not improbable that this temple might have been reconstructed during his times, and the Hindus of that and subsequent times might have concocted the story that the temple was reconstructed with the permission of Akbar so that the Muslim in subsequent times may not demolish it."
"I come to the pagoda of Benares, which, after that of Jagannath, is the most famous in all India and of equal sanctity, being built on the margin of the Ganges, and in the town which it bears the name. The most remarkable thing about it is that from the door of the pagoda to the river there is a descent by stone steps, where there are at intervals platforms and small, rather, dark chambers, some of which serve as dwellings for the Brahmans, and others as kitchens where they prepare their food."
"In his note dated 3 September 1632, Peter Mundy writes, Of all the cities and towns that I have seen in India, none resembles so much those of Europe as this Banaroz doth a distance off, by reason of the many great and high spires that are in it, which belong to Pagodes or Hindoo Churches. Also when we came into it, we found it wondrous populous, good buildings, paved streets, but narrow and crooked."
"This place is generally peopled with Hindoos of 3 sorts, viz., Khattrees [Khatris], Brahmanes [Brahmins], and Banians [Banias] and resorted unto from far, drawn hither by their superstitious reverence to the river Ganges (which runs by it), As also to divers [sic] Pagodes, Dewraes [duera, temple] or churches. The chiefest is called Cassibessuua [Bisheshar] being of Mahadeu [Mahadev, Shiva]; I went into it, where in the middle, on a place elevated, is a stone in form like a Hatters block plain and unwrought … on which they that resort pour water of the river, flowers, rice, butter, which here (by reason of the heat) is most commonly liquid, whilst the Bramane reads or says something which the vulgar understands not. Over it hangs a canopy of silk and about it several lamps lighted. The meaning of that plain blunt form, as I was told by a plain blunt fellow, was that it represented the head of Mahadeus virile member. If so, some mystery may be conceived why little children are by their mothers brought to this saint to be cured. Perhaps conservation as well as generation is thereby implied. Other Dewraes they have with images which they much reverence, as of Gunesh with an elephant’s trunk instead of a nose, of Chutterbudge [Chaturbhuj] with 6 faces, 6 arms and hands. Also in most of their Dewraes, in the most private and chiefest place of all, is the image of a woman sitting cross-legged, adorned with jewels. This much reverenced from Agra Westward, but Mahadew for the most part here away. Also most commonly before the going in of their Dewraes, they have the image of a calf or young bullock [Nandi, the bull vehicle of Shiva]. Here in their great Pagodes were many like rooms apart, with their several images, of which there were many that lay up and down in sundry places, of a reasonable form, and the best cut that I have yet seen in India. Others that I have therefore met with all were for the most part misshapen."
"‘The city is small, but very ancient, and venerated by Hindus by reason of a temple there possessing a very ancient idol. Some years after my visit, Aurangzeb sent orders for its destruction, when he undertook the knocking down of all temples.’"
"The engineers of Aurangzeb could have utilized the whole of the temple area for their new mosque, if they had decided to convert the western wall of the temple into the Mihrab wall of their mosque. But this could not have rendered possible the conversion of the sanctuary of Vishvanatha into the central hall of the mosque, which was Aurangzeb’s chief desideratum. They, therefore, decided merely to pull down the western hall of the temple and its adjoining subsidiary shrines. They removed useful building material, levelled up the debris, and allowed it to remain in that uncouth condition, as the area was behind their mosque. It is still in that condition today. The debris is on a level with the level of the mosque courtyard and its height from the pradakshina path to the west varies from four to six feet. A portion of the superstructure of this Western Mandap can still be seen in the ruins today. It enables us to conclude that its dome was not covered by the principle of arch, which was usually followed by the Muslims, but by successive protrusions of the courses of stones, and by cutting off all the angles laterally, so as to change the square into a polygon and thence gradually into a circle."
"The Lingum of the original temple of Vishveshvur [sic] was looked upon as the genuine type of Mahadeo or Shiva, which fell from heaven upon this spot, and was converted into stone. When the Moosulmans [sic] set about their work of destruction, it is asserted, the indignant image leaped on its own accord into the Gyan Bapee (well of knowledge) hard by, where it still remains. The well has since been considered to be centre of the Untrigrihee Jatra [Antargriha Yatra: more on this later] or Holy Circuit, although a modern Shiwala, erected near the spot, pretends to have reinstated the genuine Lingum, and fashion is rapidly acquiescing in the arrangement."
"On 22 September 1755, seized by bigotry, a local qazi (judge of Muslim canonical law) and a muhtasib (censor of morals) rallied together a band of fanatical Muslims and destroyed the Vishwanath shrine. A rare manuscript, Delhi Chronicle, documents this unfortunate event: ‘They [the qazi and muhtasib] overthrew the golden pitcher which had been fixed on the top … they plundered some men who were going to worship it, they cut down a pipal tree and threw it into well.’"
"Oh mind! Do undertake a pilgrimage to Kashi to have the vision of lord Vishweshwara. If you pray to him with love, he, the compassionate one, will surely cut asunder the cycle of birth and death for you. The river Ganga flows through the city like pure milk. On the banks of the river, a host of sages reside. The lord smears his form with holy ash, holds a trident in his hands. A serpent adorns his neck. He shares his form with Girija, the daughter of mountains. All the people of the three worlds are at his feet. Oh mind! Do worship the lotus-eyed Lord Padmanabha and the three-eyed Maheswara and become immortal."
"The temple of Bisheshwar [sic] is situated in the midst of a quadrangle, covered in with a roof, above which the tower of the temple is seen. At each corner is a dome, and at the south-east corner, a temple sacred to Shiva. When observed in the distance, from the elevation of the roof, the building presents three distinct divisions. The first is the spire of a temple of Mahadeva, whose base is in the quadrangle below; the second is a large gilded dome; and the third is the gilded tower of the temple of Bisheshwar [sic] itself. These three objects are all in a row, in the centre of the quadrangle, filling up most of the space from one side to the other. The carving upon them is not particularly striking; but the dome and tower glittering in the sun look like vast masses of burnished gold … the expense of gilding them was borne by the late Maharaja Runjeet Sinh [sic] of Lahore. The tower, dome and spire terminate, severally, in a sharp point. Attached to the first is a high pole bearing a small flag and tipped with a trident. The temple of Bisheshwar, including the tower is fifty-one feet in height … outside the enclosure, to the north is a large collection of deities, raised upon a platform, called by the natives ‘the court of Mahadeva’ … these are evidently not of modern manufacture … the probability is, that they were taken from the ruins of the old temple of Bishshwar, which stood to the north-west of the present structure, and was demolished by the Emperor Aurangzeb … extensive remains of this ancient temple are still visible. They form a large portion of the western wall of the Mohammedan Mosque, which was built up in its site by this bigoted oppressor of the Hindus. Judging from the proportions of these ruins, it is manifest that the former temple of Bisheshwar must have been both loftier and more capacious than the existing structure; and the courtyard is four or five times more spacious than the entire area occupied by the modern temple … the mosque though not small, is by no means an imposing object. It is plain and uninteresting, and displays scarcely any carving or ornament. Within and without, its walls are besmeared with a dirty whitewash with a little colouring matter."
"Visiting in 1868, Sherring documented this Adi Vishweshwara temple and the adjacent Raziya mosque as well. This was in a north-westerly direction from the Gyan Vapi mosque. He writes: Looking beyond in a north-westerly direction, the eye falls on a temple about sixty feet in height, situated one hundred and fifty yards distant from the mosque. This is Ad-Bisheshwar [sic: Adi Vishweshwara], that is the temple of the ‘Primeval Lord of All.’ The natives in the neighbourhood all regard this shrine as of an epoch anterior to that of the old Bisheshwar [sic], the ruins of which, as already stated, form a constituent portion of Aurunguzeb’s [sic] mosque. Hence the name attached to it. This temple is surmounted by a large dome, the decaying condition of which is visible in the gaps on its outer surface … there is really nothing in this temple of an ancient character; but, on the eastern side of the enclosure, the ground becomes considerably elevated, and upon it stands a mosque [Raziya?] built of very old materials, the pillars of which date as far back as the Gupta period, and possibly earlier. May not these old stones and pillars be remains of the original Bisheshwar?"
"The Kashi Khanda has Shiva himself declaring: There is no linga equal to that of Vishwanatha. There is no tirtha other than Manikarnika. There is no splendid penance grove anywhere else on a par with my Anandavana. The whole of Varanasi is full of tirthas. Its very name is Tirtha of all Tirthas. There itself is the highly sacred Manikarnika, the very ground of my happiness. From the site which is my royal palace [the main temple], the city extends in between the north and the east, to the left is 300 hands (up to Harischandreshwara) and to the right it is 200 hands (up to Ganga Keshava). In Ganga, Manikarnika extends to five hundred hands north to south. It is the very essence of the three worlds. It is the basic support of the great soul. Those who resort to it lie in my heart."
"The reputed sanctity of the spot in the eyes of the Hindus would not be lost by its exclusive appropriation to Musalman devotion, while the everlasting rancour of the Hindus would be kept alive by a sense of profanation to which their holy place was exposed, and a regret at being denied access to it. With the Musalmans, on the contrary, no particular sanctity [is] attached to the spot. An Eedgah in any other situation would be equally an object of resort, and it is only held by the Musalmans in peculiar estimation here as it marks the former ascendancy of one religion over the other [emphasis mine]. When all collision of the two sects is obviated at the Bisheshwar mosque and Kapalmochan by the seclusion of the Musalmans at the one and their exclusion from the other, I anticipate no ground of dispute from the Musalmans retaining entire possession of the minaret mosque called by the Hindus, Beynee Madhoo [Beni Madhav] and of that at Sheikh Katun Allees (or the Hindu Kurrut Baseysur [Krittivaseshawar]). The Hindus have long since appropriated another temple to the idol to which the former place was originally dedicated, and the foundation at the latter which the Hindus esteem sacred is an object of devotion to them only one day in the year."
"It so happens that sometime the ling of Vishweshwar is removed and is again brought back according to the existences of the situation. It often happens that on account of the action of the intolerant Muslim government there may be no ling there at all. Even the circumambulation etc. should be made round the place on account of its sanctity. That is quite sufficient for the pilgrimage. As for a ceremonial bathing of the God with Mantras etc. that would not be possible."
"The most interesting of the ruined buildings of ancient Benares now existing are those which have been appropriated by the Muhammadans. At the back of the mosque of Aurangzib, near the Golden Temple [Vishwanath], is a fragment of what must have been a very imposing Brahminical or Jain temple. The south wall of the mosque is built into it. Tradition points to this as being part of the original temple of Vishweshwar destroyed by Aurangzib. From the style it would appear to belong to the time of Akbar, or about the beginning of the sixteenth century. The raised terrace in front of the mosque is built upon some very much older structure, which Sherring suggests might have been a Buddhist vihara or temple monastery. This, however, is mere conjecture … it is quite possible that the whole quadrangle in which the mosque stands, originally contained a number of Brahminical, or perhaps Jain temples and monasteries of many different periods, such are as often found grouped together in places considered especially sacred by any sect of Hindus."
"‘It would be doing violence to the soul of Aurangzeb to use this land for any purpose other than that intended by him, that is to keep it intact either for the humiliation of Hindus or to show the previous history of the property.’"
"I visited the Viswanath temple last evening and as I was walking through those lanes, these were the thoughts that touched me. If a stranger dropped from above on to this great temple and he had to consider what we as Hindus were, would he not be justified in condemning us? Is not this great temple a reflection of our character? I speak feelingly as a Hindu. Is it right that the lanes of our sacred temple should be as dirty as they are? The houses round about are built anyhow. The lanes are tortuous and narrow. If even our temples are not models of roominess and cleanliness, what can our self-government be? Shall our temples be abodes of holiness, cleanliness and peace as soon as the English have retired from India, either of their own pleasure or by compulsion, bag and baggage?"
"Though here the linga of Visvesvara is removed and another is brought in its place by human beings, owing to the times, the pilgrims must worship whatever linga is in this place. Sometimes, owing to the action of tyrannical Mleccha rulers, there may be no linga in that place. In that case circumambulation, namaskara and other forms of salutation must be made to the spot only. By that action the fruit of the pilgrimage is attained. The abhiseka, etc., which can only be done (to the linga) can of course not be done."
"From Prayag the Marathas moved along the southern bank of the Ganga to the town of Mirzapur and camped there on 1 June 1743. The proximity to the holy city of Kashi, and the desire to rebuild the temple of Kashi Vishwanath at its original site, moved Malharji Holkar to make preparations to take over the city. A letter dated 27 June 1743 gives a summary of the events: It is Malharji’s wish to demolish the mosque at Jnanvapi and build a temple. However, the panch-dravidi? Brahmins worry that the mosque is well-known. The patil will make the temple without an order from the Emperor. Once the Emperor comes to evil ways, the Brahmins will die. He will take their lives. In this province, the yavanas are in strength. They will not all accept this. It is better to build it at another place. The Brahmins are worried. They will be in a bad state. The Ganga is omnipotent! In Kashi, the Brahmins are worried. However, to do what will not endanger the Brahmins, will be pious. Even so, what the Vishveshwar thinks proper, he will do. What is the point of worrying? If they begin to demolish the temple, the Brahmins will come and send a letter of request to the Shrimant — that is the thought now."
"Comparison of the inscription found in the lower room inside the existing structure, with a copy which was made by the ASI in 1965-66, establishes that attempt was made to erase last two lines of the inscription mentioning about the construction and expansion of the mosque."
"During the scientific investigations/ survey of existing structure a number of Sanskrit and Dravidian inscriptions were noticed on the pre-existing structure and existing structure. Most of these inscriptions which сап be dated from 12th to 17th century have been reused in the structure, suggesting that the earlier structures were destroyed and their parts were reused in construction / repair later."
"During the survey, a number of inscriptions were noticed on the existing and pre-existing structures. A total of 34 inscriptions were recorded during the present survey and 32 estampages were taken. These are, in fact, inscriptions on the stones of the pre-existing Hindu temples, which have bееп re-used during the construction! repair of the existing structure, They include inscriptions in Devanagari, Grantha, Telugu and Kannada scripts. Reuse of earlier inscriptions in the structure, suggest that the earlier structures were destroyed and their parts were reused in construction repair of the existing structure."
"Based on scientific studies/survey carried out, study of architectural remains, exposed features and artefacts, inscriptions, art and sculptures, it can be said that there existed a Hindu temple prior to the construction of the existing structure. (137)"
"Making a pilgrimage there in Banaras every day for a whole year, still she did not reach all the sacred places. For in Banaras there is a sacred place at every step."
"Benaras is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend and looks twice as old as all of them put together."
"I think Banares is one of the most wonderful places I have ever seen. It has struck me that a Westerner feels in Banares very much as an Oriental must feel while he is planted down in the middle of London."
"Many people think they cannot have knowledge or understanding of God without reading books. But hearing is better than reading, and seeing is better than hearing. Hearing about Benares is different from reading about it; but seeing Benares is different from either hearing or reading."
"The history of this period [of Muslim domination] is complicated, and the various Muslim dynasties which came to power through the centuries were far from monolithic in their policies... But for the most part these were hard centuries. The religious life of the city was under almost constant threat. At least six times during these years the temples of Kashi were destroyed... Although parts of Banaras were destroyed repeatedly between the twelfth and the seventeenth centuries by the armies of the various Muslim kings who ruled North India, they were rebuilt, right on top of the ruins and rubble. Despite the fact that few of its buildings are ancient, the city looks very old."
"Benares is holy. Europe, grown superficial, hardly understands such truths anymore.....I feel nearer here than I have ever done to the heart of the world; here I feel everyday as if soon, perhaps even today, I would receive the grace of supreme revelation...The atmosphere of devotion which hangs above the river is improbable in strength; stronger than in any church that I have ever visited. Every would be Christian priest would do well to sacrifice a year of his theological studies in order to spend his time on the Ganges; here he would discover what piety means."
"It had been brought to the notice of His Majesty that during the late reign many idol temples had been begun, but remained unfinished at Benares, the great stronghold of infidelity. The infidels were now desirous of completing them. His Majesty, the defender of the faith, gave orders that at Benares, and throughout all his dominions in every place, all temples that had been begun should be cast down. It was now reported from the province of Allahãbãd that seventy-six temples had been destroyed in the district of Benares.'"
"From that place the royal army proceeded towards Benares, ‘which is in the centre of the country of Hind,’ and here they destroyed nearly one thousand temples, and raised mosques on their foundations; and the knowledge of the law became promulgated, and the foundations of religion were established; ‘and the face of the dinar and the diram was adorned with the name and blessed titles’ of the king. The Rais and chiefs of Hind came forward to proffer their allegiance. ‘The government of that country was bestowed on one of the most celebrated and exalted servants of the State,’ in order that he might distribute justice and repress idolatry."
"This city anciently bore the name of Kashi, but at what period it received its present name the page of history is silent. It is built on the north side of the river, which is here very broad, and the banks of which are very high : from the water, its appearance is extremely beautiful ; the great variety of the buildings strikes the eye, and the whole view is much improved by innumerable flights of stone steps, which are either entrances into the several temples, or to the houses.... Nearly in the center of the city is a considerable Mahomedan mosque, with two minarets ... this building was raised by that most intolerant and ambitious of human beings, the Emperor Aurungzebe, who destroyed a magnificent temple of the Hindoos on this spot, and built the present mosque, said to be of the same extent and height of the building destroyed... Surrounding the city are many ruins of buildings, the effects of Mahomedan intolerance."
"The city of Benares, for its wealth, costly buildings, and the number of its inhabitants, is classed in the first of those now remaining in the possession of the Hindoos. To describe with a due degree of precision the various temples dedicated at Benares, to the almost innumerable deities, and to explain the origin of their foundation with the necessary arrangement, would require a knowledge far superior to mine in the mysterious subject of Hindoo Mythology. It is at this day enveloped in such deep obscurity, that even those pundits the most skilfully versed in the Sanscrit,* are not able to render it moderately comprehensible to the generality of people. ....At the distance of eight miles from the city of Benares, as it is approached on the river, from the eastward, the eye is attracted by the view of two lofty minarets, which were erected by Aurungzebe, on the foundation of an ancient Hindoo temple, dedicated to the Mhah Deve. The construction on this sacred ruin of so towering a Mahometan pile, which, from its elevated height, seems to look down with triumph and exultation on the fallen state of a city so profoundly revered by the Hindoos, would appear to have been prompted to the mind of Auruugzebe, hy a bigoted and intemperate desire of insulting their religion. If such was his wish, it hath been completely fulfilled. For the Hindoos consider this monument, as the disgraceful record of a foreign yoke, proclaiming to every stranger, that their favourite city has been debased, and the worship of ther gods defiled. from the top of the minarets is seen the entire prospect of Benares, which occupies a space of .about two miles and an half along the northern bank of the Ganges, and generally a mile inland from the river....The irregular and compressed manner which has been invariably adopted in forming the streets of Benares,has destroyed the effects which symmetry and arrangement would have otherwise bestowed on a city, entitled, from its valuable buildings, to a preference of any capital which I have seen in India."
"“The infidels demolished a mosque,” writes the author of the Ganj-i-Arshadi, “that was under construction and wounded the artisans. When the news reached Shah Yasin, he came to Banaras from Mandyawa and collecting the Muslim weavers, demolished the big temple. A Sayyid who was an artisan by profession agreed with one Abdul Rasul to build a mosque at Banaras and accordingly the foundation was laid. Near the place there was a temple and many houses belonging to it were in the occupation of the Rajputs. The infidels decided that the construction of a mosque in the locality was not proper and that it should be razed to the ground. At night the walls of the mosque were found demolished. Next day the wall was rebuilt but it was again destroyed. This happened three or four times. At last the Sayyid hid himself in a corner. With the advent of night the infidels came to achieve their nefarious purpose. When Abdul Rasul gave the alarm, the infidels began to fight and the Sayyid was wounded by the Rajputs. In the meantime, the Mussulman residents of the neighbourhood arrived at the spot and the infidels took to their heels. The wounded Muslims were taken to Shah Yasin who, determined to vindicate the cause of Islam. When he came to the mosque, people collected from the neighbourhood. The civil officers were outwardly inclined to side with the saint but in reality they were afraid of the royal displeasure on account of the Raja, who was a courtier of the Emperor and had built the temple (near which the mosque was under construction). Shah Yasin, however, took up the sword and started for Jihad. The civil officers sent him a message that such a grave step should not be taken without the Emperor’s permission. Shah Yasin, paying no heed, sallied forth till he reached Bazar Chau Khamba through a fusillade of stones… The doors (of temples) were forced open and the idols thrown down. The weavers and other Mussulmans demolished about 500 temples. They desired to destroy the temple of Beni Madho, but as lanes were barricaded, they desisted from going further.”"
"In Banaras, according to Ibn-ul-Asir, Shihabuddin’s slaughter of the Hindus was immense, “none was spared except women and children,” who were destined to be made slaves."
"Mosques of Alamgir (Aurangzeb) : It is said that the mosque of Benares was built by Alamgir on the site of the Bisheshwar Temple. That temple was very tall and (held as) holy among the Hindus. On this very site and with those very stones he constructed a lofty mosque, and its ancient stones were rearranged after being embedded in the walls of the mosque. It is one of the renowed mosques of Hindustan. The second mosque at Benares (is the one) which was built by Alamgir on the bank of the Ganga with chiselled stones. This also is a renowned mosque of Hindustan. It has 28 towers, each of which is 238 feet tall. This is on the bank of the Ganga and its foundations extend to the depth of the waters."
"Mahomed Ghoory, in the mean time returning from Ghizny, marched towards Kunowj, and engaged Jye-chund Ray, the Prince of Kunowj and Benares' This prince led his forces into the field, between Chundwar and Etawa, where he sustained a signal defeat from the vanguard of the Ghiznevide army, led by Kootbood-Deen Eibuk, and lost the whole of his baggage and elephants' He marched from thence to Benares, where, having broken the idols in above 1000 temples, he purified and consecrated the latter to the worship of the true God...'Mahomed Ghoory, following with the body of the army into the city of Benares, took possession of the country as far as the boundaries of Bengal, without opposition, and having destroyed all the idols, loaded four thousand camels with spoils.'"
"Next year he [Muhammad of Ghor] defeated Jayachandra of Kanauj. A general massacre, rapine, and pillage followed. The Gahadvad treasuries at Asni and Varanasi were plundered. Hasan Nizami rejoices that in Benares which is the centre of the country of Hind, they destroyed one thousand temples and raised mosques on their foundations. According to Kamil-ut-Tawarikh of Ibn Asir, 'The slaughter of Hindus (at Varanasi) was immense; none were spared except women and children, and the carnage of men went on until the earth was weary.' The women and children were spared so that they could be enslaved and sold all over the Islamic world. It may be added that the Buddhist complex at Sarnath was sacked at this time, and the Bhikshus were slaughtered."
"'I am here led to relate that at the city of Banaras a temple had been erected by Rajah Maun Singh, which cost him the sum of nearly thirty-six laks of five methkally ashrefies. The principle idol in this temple had on its head a tiara or cap, enriched with jewels to the amount of three laks ashrefies. He had placed in this temple moreover, as the associates and ministering servants of the principal idol, four other images of solid gold, each crowned with a tiara, in the like manner enriched with precious stones. It was the belief of these Jehennemites that a dead Hindu, provided when alive he had been a worshipper, when laid before this idol would be restored to life. As I could not possibly give credit to such a pretence, I employed a confidential person to ascertain the truth; and, as I justly supposed, the whole was detected to be an impudent imposture. Of this discovery I availed myself, and I made it my plea for throwing down the temple which was the scene of this imposture and on the spot, with the very same materials, I erected the great mosque, because the very name of Islam was proscribed at Banaras, and with God's blessing it is my design, if I live, to fill it full with true believers.'"
"Hari who had been commissioned by Hara to protect Varanasi from the wicked Turuska warrior, as the only one who was able to protect the earth, was again born from him, his name being renowned as Govindapala."
"“The chief temples destroyed by King Aurangzeb within his kingdom were the following: Maisa (? Mayapur), Matura (Mathura), Caxis (Kashi), Hajudia (Ajudhya), and an infinite number of others ; but, not to tire the reader, I do not append their names.”"
"Banaras experienced its first Muslim attack in AD 1033, when troops of Ahmad Nialtagin, son of Mahmud of Ghaznavi, suddenly appeared before the city. Banaras was totally devastated in AD 1994 by a Ghurid force led by Qutubuddin Aibak. Hardly a shrine survived the onslaught. Buddhist presence was almost wholly wiped out with the havoc wrought at Sarnath. In the ensuing centuries of Muslim political ascendancy, Banaras' great temples were destroyed several times. The Banaras of the Puranic mahatmyas was completely obliterated; the Krittivasa, Omkara, Mahadeva, Madhyaameshvara, Vishvanath, Bindu Madhava, and Kaal Bhairava temples were all razed. In many cases, mosques were built with "calculated insolence" in their place and the sites closed to Hindus."
"It is worthy of notice, as illustrating the nature of Mohammedan rule in India, that nearly all the buildings in Benares, of acknowledged antiquity, have been appropriated by the Mussulamans being used as mosques, Mausoleums, dargahs and so forth... Although the city is bestrewn with temples in every in every direction, in some places very thickly, yet it would be difficult... to find twenty temples, in all Banaras, of the age of Aurangzeb, or from 1658 to 1707."
"The army could only remain there from morning to mid-day prayer because of the peril. The markets of the drapers, perfumers, and jewellers, were plundered, but it was impossible to do more. The people of the army became rich, for they all carried off gold, silver, perfumes and jewels, and got back in safety."
"It is worthy of notice, as illustrating the nature of Mohammedan rule in India, that nearly all the buildings in Benares, of acknowledged antiquity, have been appropriated by the Musulmans; being used as mosques, mausoleums, dargahs, and so forth; and also that a large portion of the separate pillars, architraves, and various other ancient remains, which, as before remarked, are so plentifully found in one part of the city, now contribute to the support or adornment of their edifices. Not content with destroying temples and mutilating idols, with all the zeal of fanatics, they fixed their greedy eyes on whatever object was suited to their own purposes, and, without scruple or any of the tenderness shown by the present rulers, seized upon it for themselves. And thus it has come to pass, that every solid and durable structure, and every ancient stone of value, being esteemed by them as their peculiar property, has, with very few exceptions, passed into their hands."
"It is a small mosque wholly devoid of magnificence, erected, according to Mussulman practice, upon the ruins of a Hindoo temple. The limited site on which it was built may not have admitted of the usual display of beauty or splendour, or the imperial founder may have considered it more as a monument of triumph than of grandeur – have desired that it should express contempt than command admiration. Benares was indeed taken and plundered, and given up to every excess, by Mahomed Gauri in the year 1194; but the mosque in question was constructed by Aurungzebe, who has left behind him many similar proofs of his persecution of the Hindoos. A humane king would have lamented the past injuries of his subjects, a great one would have repaired them, but Aurungzebe, in a more enlightened age, and without the palliation of his predecessor, a barbarian and a conqueror, deliberately augmented the desolation of the city, the object of veneration of a whole people, and treated with derision and dishonour the religious feelings of its most peaceful inhabitants. It struck me as one of the most remarkable instances of the passive character of the Hindoos that they should have suffered the lofty minarets of this mosque to tower over their temples so long, and to be the first objects that meet the eye of the pilgrim on his approach to the far-sought sanctuary of his religion."
"There is hardly any city in the world that can claim greater antiquity, greater continuity and greater popular veneration than Banaras. Banaras has been a holy city for at least thirty centuries‛... ‚No city in India arouses the religious emotions of the Hindus as much as KÁÐÍ does. To the Hindu mind it represents great and unbroken traditions of religious sanctity and learning. It is a miniature of Hindu life through the ages‛."
"The history of a country is sometimes epitomized in the history of one of its principal cities. The city of Benares represents India, religiously and intellectually, just as Paris represents the political sentiments of France. There are few cities in the world of greater antiquity, and none that have so uninterruptedly maintained their ancient celebrity and distinction. In Benares, Buddhism was first promulgated; in Benares, Hinduism has had her home in the bosom of her most impassioned votaries. This city, therefore, has given impulse and vigour to the two religions which to this day govern half the world."
"It [Kashi] has survived in age a hundred lives of Bruhma [Brahma], each of whose days is equal to 4320 millions of years; it stands apart from the earth, supported upon the trisool or trident of Mahadeo [Shiva], never shaken by earthquakes; and the whole city was once of pure gold, but has since degenerated into stone and brick, along with the rapid deterioration of human virtue."
"In the Linga Purana, which is believed to have been composed between the fifth and tenth centuries ce, Bhagwan Shiva tells his consort Devi Parvati about this ‘holy centre’: One whose mind is fixed in me, one who is devoted to me, one who has always dedicated his holy rites to me, does not attain liberation anywhere else in the same manner as here. O! fair lady! A creature that dies here becomes competent to attain salvation … this holy centre will never be abandoned by me nor has it been eschewed by me. This holy centre, therefore, is known as ‘Avimukta’ … this Avimukta is more auspicious than even Prayaga which is the foremost of all holy centres."
"The Kashi Khanda, which was appended to the sixth-century ce text Skanda Purana as a later appendage of the thirteenth–fourteenth centuries, guarantees to the devout this eternal promise: At the time of death, when the sensitive weak spots get pierced and they are afflicted by rheumatism, men will lose the power of memory. There, at the time when the soul comes out, Lord Vishweshwara himself imparts the Taraka Brahman (Rama Mantra of six syllables) Mantra, whereby the individual identifies himself with it (Supreme Being, i.e. gets liberated)."
"To Kashi, its pre-eminence was really the gift of the Puranas which undertook to spread the cult of Shiva. Beginning by stressing (as did the later Bhakti mārga) the inferiority of Vedic sacrifices as compared to devotion to God (Shiva), they ended by making ‘the city of Shiva’ (Shivapuri, i.e. Kashi) the best place for the performance of those sacrifices. In this syncretism of Vedic and non-Aryan cults at Kashi lay the secret of its wide appeal and its rise as the first place among our tirthas."
"There is no linga equal to that of Vishwanatha. There is no tirtha other than Manikarnika. There is no splendid penance grove anywhere else on par with my Anandavana. The whole of Varanasi is full of tirthas. Its very name is Tirtha of all Tirthas. There itself is the highly sacred Manikarnika, the very ground of my happiness. From the site which is my royal palace, the city extends in between the north and the east, to the left is 300 hands (up to Harischandreshwara) and to the right it is 200 hands (up to Ganga Keshava). In Ganga, Manikarnika extends to five hundred hands north to south. It is the very essence of the three worlds. It is the basic support of the great soul. Those who resort to it lie in my heart."
"They [the people of the city] are mostly unbelievers [meaning non-Buddhists], a few reverence [sic] the law of Buddha…There are a hundred or so Deva temples with about 10,000 sectaries. They honour principally Mahesvara (Ta-tseu-tsai). Some cut their hair off, others tie their hair in a knot, and go naked, without clothes (nirgranthas); they cover their bodies with ashes (Pashupatas) and by the practice of all sorts of austerities they seek to escape from birth and death. In the capital there are twenty Deva temples, the towers and halls of which are of sculptured stone and carved wood. The foliage of trees combine to shade (the sites), whilst pure streams of water encircle them. The statue of the Deva Mahesvara, made of teou-shih (native copper), is somewhat less than 100 feet high. Its appearance is grave and majestic, and appears as though really living."
"Twenty-five centuries ago, at the least, it was famous. When Babylon was struggling with Nineveh for supremacy, when Tyre was planting her colonies, when Athens was growing in strength, before Rome had become known, or Greece had contended with Persia, or Cyrus had added lustre to the Persian monarchy, or Nebuchadnezzar had captured Jerusalem, and the inhabitants of Judea had been carried into captivity, she [Benares] had already risen to greatness, if not glory. Nay, she may have heard the fame of Solomon, and have sent her ivory, her apes and her peacocks to adorn his palaces; while partly with her gold he may have overlaid the Temple of the Lord. Not only is Benares remarkable for her venerable age, but also for the vitality and vigour which, so far as we know, she has constantly exhibited. While many cities and nations have fallen into decay and perished, her sun has never gone down; on the contrary for long ages past it has shone with almost meridian splendour. Her illustrious name has descended from generation to generation and has ever been a household word, venerated and beloved by the vast Hindu family."
"The Hindus have some places which are venerated for reasons connected with their law and religion, e.g. Benares. For their anchorites wander to it and stay there forever, as the dwellers of the Ka’ba stay forever in Mekka. They want to live there to the end of their lives, that their reward after death should be the better for it. They say that a murderer is held responsible for his crime and punished with a punishment due to his guilt, except in case he enters the city of Benares, where he obtains pardon."
"The Benares Gazetteer notes despondently, ‘The sacred city for a time dropped into comparative insignificance. Its pollution had been thoroughly accomplished, and probably the place was levelled with the ground. At all events, it ceases to figure in history for a long period.’"
"The period 1200–1550 ad was a dark one for the Hindu religion of India in general and of Benares in particular. Unfortunately, we have no Hindu sources of history to enable us to get a first-hand information of the feelings and activities of the Hindus of Benares, as a consequence of the systematic persecution to which they were subjected by a number of rulers during this period."
"O! Yoginis! Hasten to my city Varanasi where the king Divodasa rules the kingdom with adequate adherence to righteousness. O intelligent yoginis equipped with the power of yoga and maya, proceed in that manner which will make the king swerve from his duty and abandon Kashi. Quickly carry out such means as will enable me to go to Varanasi after renovating it."
"Kashi is an exalted place, bestower of all desires and boons, it is spread over pancha krosha … go there without any further delays, it will help you fulfil all your wishes and desires, do not have any doubts in your mind; the four purushārthas can be attained there. The God there is so kind; strange are the games he plays. It is named Anandakānana; Kashi is the rāshi or treasure of all dharma, for all living creatures the site of salvation. Even if you merely see the inhabitants of Kashi, then all your sins will run away from you. What can I say about the greatness of this place? It is the place of the Tāraka Mantra, which will be whispered to you as upadesh by its swami [Shiva]. It is a waste of human life if one does not go there, or better still live there."
"the Padma Purana states: ‘Beginning from Madhyameshwara, stretching as far as Dehali Vinayaka, move that string in all directions so as to form a circle. The supreme sacred land [kshetra] is what is inside the arc. The Vedas know it as Kashi. That place is famous for liberation.’"
"Our first visit was to a celebrated temple, named the Vishvayesa,1 consisting of a very small but beautiful specimen of carved stone-work, and the place is one of the most holy in Hindostan, though it only approximates to a yet more sacred spot adjoining, which Aulum Gheer defiled,2 and built a mosque on it, so as to render it inaccessible to the worshippers of Brahma. The temple-court, small as it is, is crowded like a farm-yard with very fat and very tame bulls, which thrust their noses into every body’s hand and pocket for gram and sweetmeats, which their fellow-votaries give them in great quantities. The cloisters are no less full of naked devotees, as hideous as chalk and dung can make them, and the continued hum of ‘ Bam ! Ram ! Ram ! Ram ! is enough to make a stranger giddy. The place is kept very clean however, — indeed the priests seem to do little else than pour water over the images and the pavement, and I foimd them not merely willing, but anxious, to shew me every thing, — frequently repeating that they were Padres also, though it is true that they used this circumstance as an argument for my giving them a present. Near this temple is a well, with a small tower over it, and a steep flight of steps for descending to the water which is brought by a subterraneous channel from the Ganges, and, for some reason or other, is accounted more holy than even the Ganges itself. All pilgrims to Benares are enjoined to drink and wash here ; but a few years ago, a quarrel having occurred between the Hindoo and , Mussulman population of the town, arising from the two rehgious -processions of th6 Mohurrun and Jimma Osmee encountering each other, the Moslem mob killed a cow on this spot, and poured her blood into the sacred water. The Hindoos retaliated by throwing rashers of bacon into the windows of as many mosques as they could reach ; but the matter did not end so : both parties took to arms, several Kves were lost, and Benares was in a state of uproar for many hours, till the British Government came in with its authority, and quelled the disturbance."
"The people of Benares had closed their gates, so orders were given for plundering the city."
"In AH 410, Sultan Mahmud of Gahzni marched hither, and some disruptions in the old faith were effected"
"The Muselmans apparently form but one-fifth of the population, and are not more numerous than the Brahmans alone; very few of them reside within the City, properly so called, which is almost exclusively Hindu."
"At that time (1570-71) there was an idol temple, which owing to passage of time had become deserted and become the place of trade of the market people. I purged that place of them and started erecting a madrasa for scholars. It was completed around those few days that Raja (Todarmal) came from a bath (in the river). In that temple there was a pillar 12 gaz (32 feet) high; and there was a date in the Hindu characters inscribed on it stating that it had been set up seven hundred years ago. When Bayizid took it down, he had it cut into two parts, and the two parts again into four portions each. Six parts of the stone were used in the pillars and slabs of the mosque of the madrasa; and two parts were taken by Khwaja (Dost) Muhammad, Bakhshi of the Khan Khanan (Munim Khan) who put them on the doorway of the mosque at Jaunpur."
"Kedara was one of the early temples of Kashi mentioned in the Puranic mahatmyas. According to devotees, Kedara was the respected elder of Visveshvara and the oldest Shiva linga in Kashi. It was also locally claimed that Kedara survived the great destruction of Aurangzeb in the seventeenth century. That made the present Kedara temple older than the present Visvanatha temple. Legend has it that when Aurangzeb‘s troops approached the temple they were counselled by a Muslim holy man to retreat. The advice was unheeded, and the troops stormed into the temple. The commander slashed the image of Nandi, kneeling before the doorway to the sanctum. Blood was said to have flowed from its neck, and the assailants backed away in awe and fear. Kedaresvara is presently a large structure on the banks of the Ganges at Kedarghat."
"Numerous other shrines, too many to enumerate, were displaced, reduced in size, or simply erased. The Banaras that was reconstructed in the eighteenth century was markedly different from the Banaras destroyed. Sacred geography had changed beyond recognition. (...) So complete was the destruction of Banaras that not a single pre-eighteenth century temple survived."
"The Lal Darwaza Masjid, for instance, was built partly ‘out of the stone material obtained through the spoilation of the majestic temple of Padmesvara built near the Visvanatha temple of Benares in 1296’."
"On the 17th Zi-l-ka’da, 1079 [18 April 1669] it reached the ear of His Majesty, the protector of the faith, that in the provinces of Thatta, Multan and Benares, but especially in the latter [i.e. Benares], foolish Brahmins were in the habit of expounding frivolous books in their schools, and that students and learners, Musulmans as well as Hindus, went there, even from long distances, led by a desire to become acquainted with the wicked sciences they taught. The ‘Director of the Faith’ consequently issued orders to all the governors of provinces to destroy with a willing hand the schools and temples of the infidels; and they were strictly enjoined to put an entire stop to the teaching and practicing of idolatrous forms of worship."
"‘On the 15th Rabi-ul-akhir [2 September 1669], it was reported to his religious Majesty, leaders of the unitarians, that in obedience to order, the Government officers had destroyed the temple of Bishnath [Vishwanath] at Benares.’"
"When we endeavour to ascertain what the Mohammedans have left to the Hindus of their ancient buildings in Benares, we are startled at the result of our investigations. Although the city is bestrewn with temples in every direction, in some places very thickly, yet it would be difficult, I believe, to find twenty temples, in all Benares, of the age of Aurungzeb, or from 1658 to 1707. The same unequal proportion of old temples, as compared with new, is visible throughout the whole of Northern India. moreover, the diminutive size of nearly all the temples that exist is another powerful testimony to the stringency of the Mohammedan rule. It seems clear, that, for the most part, the emperors forbade the Hindus to build spacious temples, and suffered them to erect only small structures of the size of cages for their idols, and these of no pretensions to beauty. The consequence is, that the Hindus of the present day, blindly following the example of their predecessors of two centuries ago, commonly build their religious edifices of the same dwarfish size as formerly; but, instead of plain, ugly buildings, they are often of elegant construction. Some of them, indeed, are so delicately carved externally, are so crowded with bass reliefs and minute sculpturing, are so lavishly ornamented that the eye of the beholder becomes satiated and wearied. In regard to size, there is a marked difference between the temples of Northern and Southern India; the latter being frequently of gigantic dimensions."
"It is worthy of notice, as illustrating the nature of Mohammedan rule in India, that nearly all the buildings in Benares, of acknowledged antiquity, have been appro¬ priated by the Musulmans; being used as mosques, mausoleums, dargahs, and so forth j and also that a large portion of the separate pillars, architraves, and various other ancient remains, whieh, as before remarked, are so plentifully found in one part of the city, now contribute to the support or adornment of their edifices."
"There is a mosque known as Har Tirath mosque, near the famous Har Tirath temple, which also appears to have been constructed of the materials of some old buildings. That was a temple of the Hindus known as Krittivaseshwara. The historical documents showed that this temple was constructed in an irregular manner in 1077 Hijri (1666 ce) after demolishing a temple, as per the orders of Aurangzeb."
"After initially denying that there was even a temple at the site, contesting that it was not even Aurangzeb who got this temple demolished, and even denying the legitimacy of the Masir-i-Alamgiri, the plaintiff side tried other tactics to deflect the issue. In the process, they ended up exposing the demolition of so many temples by Aurangzeb that it contradicted their original claims, and also those of Faruki in his hagiographical account that Aurangzeb was a very tolerant and inclusive ruler. For instance, the plaintiffs argued that there was another temple on the banks of the Ganga called Madhodaska Dharahara, which too was demolished by Aurangzeb in his time and a mosque with high minarets constructed over it. The Muslim side argued that it is possible that it was this temple that might have been the one spoken about in Masir-i-Alamgiri."
"The next contention was that at some distance from this compound, there was another temple known as Adi Vishweshwara, which too seemed to have been demolished and near it stood the mosque of Razia Bibi. Since the word ‘Adi’ meant original, it was incorrect to say that the old temple of Vishwanath was in this Gyan Vapi compound and that if there was any, then it must have been the one near that Razia mosque."