Ajmer: A controversy claiming Ajmer Sharif Dargah was originally a Shiva temple recently surfaced following which, a petition was submitted in court seeking its survey. Now a similar demand has been raised for another mosque in Ajmer, Adhai Din Ka Jhopra, which is considered one of the oldest in India.
Ajmer Municipal Corporation Deputy Mayor Neeraj Jain has alleged that this mosque was built after Kanthabharan Sanskrit Pathshala (Sanskrit School) was demolished by invaders.
Jain has further alleged that the protected monuments of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) are being used by a particular community for their religious activities while things related to Hindu culture and the importance of that particular place are being destroyed.
Jain has urged the Centre, state government and ASI to restore the Kanthabharan Sanskrit Pathshala and preserve idols of Hindu deities and Jains here. He has also demanded setting up a museum at this site.
According to Jain, the 1000-year-old Kanthabharan Sanskrit Pathshala should be renovated on the lines of Nalanda University and showcased as a centre of glorious history for the future generations.
Jain alleged that invaders have always tried to destroy the culture, education and religious places of the country. As a result of which, Takshila, Nalanda University, Gargi Veda Pathshala, were all destroyed, he added.
"One such example lies in Ajmer. Kanthabharana Sanskrit Pathshala was demolished by invaders 1000 years ago. The idols were also destroyed. They tried to raze the school to ground, but our faith and religious symbols are still present at the site," he said.
He said that the architecture of the Sanskrit school was that of a Hindu temple. There are symbols of lotus and Swastika while idols are carved on the pillars. This is an ASI-protected site and more than 250 broken statues have been preserved, he added.
Read more
